Appreciations
View(s):True to his name he was gifted with a magnetic charm and gracefulness
PRASANNA OBADAGE
This is a tribute to a humble human being, lovable husband, caring father, dutiful son and trusted friend who is no more with us. Prasanna Obadage, who always had a pleasing smile, passed away under tragic circumstances one year ago on March 13, 2021 leaving his family, friends and others who knew him in deep sorrow and disbelief.Even after one year, I cannot come to grips with the feeling that Prasanna is no more with us. My association with him as his father-in-law has been immensely close thus emotionally motivating me to write this appreciation.
The outpouring of grief, messages of condolences and tributes and the crowds – people of all walks of life – seen at his funeral despite the fear of COVID, bear evidence of what we have lost. The world will never be the same again for those who associated with him in whatever capacity. His memories will be cherished forever.
He had a large heart filled with love and kindness, and was always willing to help those less fortunate. Prasanna touched the hearts of everyone who met him throughout his various career roles in Sri Lanka and overseas. True to his name he was gifted with a magnetic charm and gracefulness.
Prasanna loved his family – wife Madhavi, daughter Naduni and son Dewan dearly. He was also blessed with a caring extended family and a massive network of genuine friends. I admired the way he cared for his loving mother Rupa, giving her the highest priority when the need arose.
The family acted with unbelievable generosity. They went out of the way looking for people who needed help. Wasantha and Lalani of Badulla are now proud owners of a lovely house due to their generosity. Prasanna treated the construction of this house as his own personal project. He helped the needy without expecting anything in return.
Prasanna was a nature lover and outdoor personality. He was also a wildlife enthusiast and skilful photographer. The walls of his home are adorned with large photographs of wildlife all taken by him. His hobbies were many – flying drones, white water rafting, canoeing, photography and racing adult toy electric cars were just a few. Yoga and Toastmasters were some of his other pastimes.
A qualified Human Resources professional (he had an MBA in HR Management), he understood human nature well and realised that every employee was different with varying capabilities and had to be treated accordingly with empathy because each one had a valuable contribution to make.
Prasanna was able to constantly change jobs because of his immense ability and experience in HR management and development. His employers were in vastly different fields ranging from (these are just a few that I can remember and not necessarily in the correct order) the NIBM to Hayleys, MAS Holdings, Lion Breweries, NEXT, Virtusa, MD Gunasena, CMA CGM and Sheraton. At the time of his demise, he was General Manager (HR) at HCL Technologies Pty Ltd.
He was an illustrious leader, leading by example. In the corporate world he ensured business means business but also created lifetime bonds and relationships within the work environment. He had high professional ethics and always tried hard to inculcate these values amongst his co-workers. He had a genuine concern for the development and welfare of the staff. He treated all staff as colleagues.
A tribute from one of his work colleagues (extracted from Facebook) says:“the legacy you have left behind cannot be measured, but the fond remembrance along with the learnings you imparted to strengthen and encourage each one of us to look forward and march on shall always be heeded”.
And from another: “He had a zest for life that made him more cheerful, charming and animated than those half his age. I’ll never forget his gentle voice, his beaming grin, his calm manner, his humble words, and his kind and warm heart. I feel blessed to have crossed paths with such a valuable human being in my lifetime”.
He had a profound knowledge of computers and Information Technology. He was a well-informed individual who did not parade his multi-skilled supremacy.
Son of senior public servant, late N.A. Obadage, Prasanna was a chip off the old block. Twenty-one years ago, when NAO passed away I wrote an appreciation and to highlight the similarity between father and son I wish to reproduce a paragraph:
“Although he reached the top rung in his career and held many influential positions, he was always very humble and ever so concerned and unreservedly willing to offer assistance to people less fortunate than he. I am personally aware that he spent much of his time and resources for the welfare of the poor. His simplicity was unparalleled, his sincerity unquestionable. He was truly a man who walked with Kings but never lost the common touch.”
Prasanna lived a privileged lifestyle, but that was unfortunately cut short doing what he loved most – swimming in the ocean – shocking everyone as he was also a good swimmer. I now tend to believe ‘the good die young’. I have lost more than a son and the community has lost an irreplaceable philanthropic gentleman.
May his journey through Samsara be short and may he ultimately attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Janaka Seneviratne
My Dad – my hero
Julius Motha
How do I start to write an appreciation about a father who was an extraordinary human being?
Daddy was born on April 12,1929, to Tribusius and Thangamal Motha. He was the fifth of eight children; theirs was a very simple and humble family. He married my mum Nirmala Pereira on October 21, 1961 and they had five daughters. Family meant everything to my dad. I fondly remember how when I was a child, he would make my milk and give it to me every morning and make a cup of tea for my mum too and give it to her in bed. He believed in making everyone in the family happy and always put others first.
Daddy was a very simple man. An incident that made a long lasting impression on me was a day when I went out with him to a shop, when I suddenly realised he was not wearing footwear. It didn’t bother him. He got down from the car and went into the shop barefoot – that was when I realized that the simplicity in my dad was something we could all learn from. He was never proud nor did he believe in showing off. He was humble to the core. He would always want to oblige everyone and found it difficult to say no.
My childhood was filled with happy memories. Dad loved spending time with us and I remember him patiently covering our schoolbooks and pasting name tags. He used to pick us up from school daily and take us out for a treat. Our trips to Bolgoda were so special and I will hold them in my heart forever.
After marriage I lived next door to my parents’ home. Dad was a wonderful father-in-law to my husband and a doting and loving grandfather to my children looking after them as babies as he loved them so very much. He was also very generous and giving, always wanting to help others and went out of his way to do so but always with a low profile, as he used to advise me ‘don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does’.
Dad taught us to live a good life by example. He avoided conflict, was soft spoken and always with a smile. He also had a sense of humour and would try to make everyone feel comfortable with a joke. He always reminded me that “peace begins with a smile”. He was kind, patient, loving, well-mannered, gentle, quiet and humble. What more can you ask of a father who was everything to me?
Daddy stopped walking five years ago after a spine injury. Since he was always an independent and active man who never asked anyone to do anything for him, it broke my heart to see him in a wheelchair. We did our best to make sure he was comfortable despite this setback. I cherish the many chats I had with Daddy, where he shared childhood stories with me. As the only two children living in Sri Lanka, my sister Diane and I made sure we did our best for our dad. Even though I have three children of my own, right to the very end, he would still wait till I came to see him every morning and would always call if ever I went out and came back late. Ours was a special bond.
He would often take my hand and say ‘don’t ever leave me’. Daddy – I am sorry I had to let go of your hand as God had plans for you. You were a great father. We were indeed blessed to have you and call you dad. You always told me, ‘I don’t know what you will do when I am gone’. I am confident that you are in the safe arms of our Heavenly Father and all our loved ones gone before. I also know you would not want me to be sad.
I know that we will meet again on that beautiful shore and that you will continue to watch over us and be our guardian angel in heaven. Goodbye Daddy. Thank you for everything you have done for me.
I love you so much.
Your youngest daughter Lucinda
God, family and friends were his priorities
Sega Nagendra
My Dad was one of the best men I knew.
He never envied others and always wanted to help. He lived a simple life, his number one priority being family. He was an amazing husband and the most supportive father.
His father was a popular family physician Dr. T. Nagendra and his mother Annapoorani was a granddaughter of Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam.
Daddy was not an entrepreneur, but a corporate man through and through. He had a star-studded corporate career as he reached the helm at Carson’s and served on many other companies’ boards.
Even though entrepreneurship was not his forte, he always gave me the support I needed and the seed money to start Efutures. He used to continuously tell me how proud he was of the trajectory of the company. He loved being our chairman. Every day he would call me and ask how things were and if he could help me in any way.
My dad was an extremely cautious man, always living within his means. He was a man of integrity. He had no interest in money and his priorities were God, his family, and friends.
Daddy was a ferocious net-worker. He loved meeting new people and was in several societies and clubs. He also served as a Trustee of the Sivan Kovil in Mutwal and the Tambyah Chaattaram in Kotahena.
My Dad did not drink or smoke, his only weakness was good food. We would have several arguments on his food choices. He would always try and convince us, that there was new research that pork is now considered healthy meat! Daddy loved pork and mutton, but of course, my mum only allowed a rationed amount every month.
Daddy could not go anywhere without my mum. They were married for 53 years, and even after all that time, they were both hopelessly in love with each other.
The loss of my sister was a big blow to him, and later the loss of his brother Sri also slowed him down a bit. He was the best father a child would ever want. Goodbye Daddy, I know you are in heaven with Akki and Uncle Sri and the rest of your family. I love you Daddy and we will meet again another day.
Apart from my mum and me, he’ll be sorely missed by his grand-children Karnan and Suhit.
May he rest in peace!
Prashan Nagendra
Mama, thank you for the happy memories
Nilanthi Nonis
Mama as I sit down to write this, my eyes fill with tears. I should have done this earlier but I was in shock after you left me so suddenly. You were the one who nurtured me and made me what I am today. I miss you so very much and always will, and the memories I have of you are many.
Thank you for not only giving me a very happy childhood but for all the sacrifices you made for me right until the very end.
When I was around 10 years old you gave up a very good job at Hemas to look after me. However, your boss, the late Moshin Esufally did not accept your resignation and allowed you to go home daily with me after school and take me for my extra-curricular activities etc.
When I was doing my Ordinary Level and Advanced Level exams, you stayed home from work and cooked all the food I love to eat, fed me and took me for my examinations. When I became a journalist, you read all the articles I wrote for various newspapers and magazines and listened to or watched the radio and TV programmes I worked for. You taught me to follow my dreams and do what I have a passion for.
You always told me that I got the ‘travel bug’ from your mother – my Archa and gave me every encouragement to travel overseas widely on my own at times. Although we missed each other when we were apart, we kept in constant contact.
Did you have a premonition about your death? You latterly spoke a lot about your family and maybe even then you knew that when you are no longer there for me all of them would take care of me – my uncles, aunts and cousins and for this I can never thank them enough. The person you spoke most was about your favourite sibling Podi Mama. You recalled that as yours was the first wedding in the family your parents gave you a memorable wedding and Archa in particular looked into the most minute details.
Many are the times you said “I must write to Aiya and ask him whether when I pass away I can go into my parents’ grave.” You were never able to do this but I am glad that I was able to fulfil your last wishes.
Life was not easy for you and you had your share of ups and downs but you were one who was able to laugh your cares away.
What I am most proud of was that you accepted the Lord as your personal friend and saviour after going to the Livingway Church. You said towards your latter stages that the only place you want to go to was Church and eagerly looked forward to Sundays.
I am thankful that I was able to do my best for you and give you all the food you liked to eat and get you what you wanted. ‘Mumsy Girl’, ‘Good Girl Mama’ and ‘Mother Dearest’ were some of the nicknames I had for you – my best friend and confidante.
Thank you Mama for all the good times. For all the fun and laughter we shared and for always showering me with much love and care. You were the best mum one could have or ever hope to have. You let me go when you had to but pulled me back and were my shelter from the storm when I had to go through some difficult times.
You told me that I must get back to my writing as soon as possible and that I must do what I like. Yes, I have got back to my writing but I never thought that it would be in writing a eulogy for you.
I am not a great writer or poet so I will simply say:
“Goodbye my darling Mama. Thank you for being the best mum one could have or ever hope to have. I will always miss you but I know I have to move on in the knowledge and assurance that one day I will be join you in eternity. May your soul rest in peace.”
Kshalini Nonis
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