Appreciations
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Dear
friend, dedicated professional At Richmond he fell hopelessly in love with cricket and spent all his waking hours playing the game. When it came to exams he came out on top with the minimum of effort. Rev. Small's era was the finest period in the history of that school and his inspired leadership had a lasting impression on the young Harold Nonis. Little else is known of his life at Richmond except that he topped the merit list in the Cambridge Junior examination. He joined Wesley College in July 1918, and was placed in the 6th Form during the 'reign' of Rev. Henry Highfield. There he soon excelled as an all-rounder. He captained the school 1st XI team and became the Senior Prefect in 1921. A talented left hand batsman, he scored an unbeaten century against St. Joseph's College and was recognized as one of the best schoolboy cricketers in 1921, going on to play for the Combined Colleges team against Trinity College. He completed his brilliant school career winning the Hill Medal. After leaving Wesley he played cricket briefly for the SSC. Harold Nonis graduated with a degree from the London University in mathematics and classics. For a brief spell (1921-23) he returned to Richmond College as a teacher. Kenneth De Lanerolle recalls being a Form 1 student at Richmond when Harold Nonis became his class master and Latin teacher. Said De Lanerolle, "It must have been some charisma in the man which made us take him to our hearts without question, wait on his every word and write to him in the holidays - letters which he never failed to reply". Harold Nonis was appointed a teacher at Wesley in September 1924 and became an outstanding teacher of mathematics, Greek and Latin. This was Henry Highfield's final year as Principal. Nonis's efforts were rewarded when he was appointed Vice Principal in 1930 being the first Ceylonese to hold this post. In 1933, he married Doris Goonewardene and moved into the Vice Principal's bungalow. There they brought up their sons, Harilal and Prasad and spent eight happy years. Living in the hallowed grounds of Wesley, Harold Nonis immersed himself fully in the life of the school, supporting and encouraging sports despite his arduous administrative and teaching duties. The school recognized his commitment and he was promoted to be the acting Principal in 1938, in which post he continued for two years. One of his outstanding achievements during this period was the purchase of the sports pavilion at Campbell Park from the Tamil Union Cricket Club, for which he will always be remembered. In 1942, he left Wesley to become the Principal of Kingswood College, Kandy, becoming the first Ceylonese to hold that position since its founder L.E. Blaze. A missionary colleague told him, "If you've got to live, it is best to live in Kandy". Prof K.M. de Silva in his many writings pays Harold Nonis the ultimate tribute as being one of the finest educationists of his time. Then came the time the missionary schools had to decide whether to join the new free education system or remain as independent fee-levying schools. The way ahead, was never clear due to the fog of ultranationalism that gripped the country. Harold Nonis had the foresight and the courage to take a pragmatic view and join the free education system. Prof. de Silva writes, "Kingswood was fortunate that it had a man of Nonis' vision and integrity to handle the transition from the old to the new." His reputation as a leading educationist was recognized and he was appointed President of the Ceylon Headmasters’ Conference and invited to serve on the Curriculum Committee appointed by the Minister of Education. His Kingswood years are also remembered for his support and enthusiasm for sport in general and cricket in particular. He continued to teach mathematics and the classics with much dedication. A science and cricket master at Kingswood, B.A. Thambapillai, fondly reflects, "In academic studies the school improved considerably. As a fitting farewell gift in 1956, the school produced the best A-level results in Kandy". A great achievement for Harold Nonis and Kingswood which was virtually on its knees in 1942. His record of dedicated service to the school, unmatched since the early years of its existence made him the obvious choice to fill the post of Principal of his old school Wesley when it became vacant in 1957. To leave Kingswood after an enormously successful period where he was loved and respected, now at the twilight of his career, must have been a difficult decision. Harold Nonis returned as Principal of his alma mater, bringing with him a wealth of experience. It was a belated homecoming to complete the work he started as the Vice Principal and to uphold the rich ideals of its founders. I first met Mr. Nonis in 1957, as a Form IV student. He brought with him a quiet dignity and courtesy which pervaded the entire school. It was during his 'reign' the decision was taken to run Wesley as a private non-fee levying school, with all the problems it entailed. He was able to assess the risks with great clinical accuracy and so to advise on the most sensible way forward. Drawing from his vast experience this was done with immense skill. Early on we had to sell the 'family silver' (the small park) to survive. But survive we did. During these turbulent times he was a rock and an anchor in the tempests and trials in the life of the school. His calm integrity in situations often dominated by powerful politicians, old boys and parents is now a part of the folklore of the school. He was cool in times of strife and remained courageous to the very end. Many of us, staff, boys, parents and others have first hand experiences to draw on and will not forget the words of reassurance that we have been given. He brought to all he did a gentle but firm persuasion with a strong moral sense of right and wrong, He also had his priorities clearly defined. He cared about people. If it was within his power to do so he made sure that careers were developed to the benefit of the students and the teachers. The wellbeing of the students was his prime concern. If there were family problems, these took precedence and rightly so. Harold Nonis, retired as Principal of Wesley on December 15, 1960, after 41 years of service to education. As a scholar, sportsman, teacher, Principal and friend, he made a lasting impression on us all. He will be remembered for his formidable intellect and the gentle way he tried to convey it to his pupils. His interest in everyone as an individual whether colleague or pupil and his permanent friendliness which he sustained throughout his career was a result of a very deep and real relationship with his Lord. He was a lay preacher and had a deep and unwavering faith. After retirement he spent a brief spell in England and returned home to live in Nugegoda. He kept in touch with many of his past pupils and took great pride in their achievements. During this time he celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary. Tribute must be paid to Mrs. Doris Nonis for her support for the school in all those years. Harold Nonis was an honoured guest at the many Wesley College prize givings and old boys’ celebrations which he enjoyed immensely. Above all, he was a family man. He doted on his only grandchild who brought much happiness to his life. The time passed swiftly until his health finally failed. He retained his phenomenal memory and the pride and love for his school until the very end. He died in April 1980 at the age of 79. His remains lay in state at the Wesley College Hall as past and present pupils and teachers from Kingswood and Wesley paid their respects. All who knew him mourned the loss of a dear friend, dedicated professional and a remarkably versatile human being.
Grant Him O Lord She
guided us with love and faith She was immensely generous to all those around her, not only with material things but also with kindness and unconditional love. Yet, she was firm, stood by her beliefs and at times even embarrassed us with her straightforwardness. Together with Thaththa, she provided us a perfect childhood. She ensured commitment and ethics in whatever she did, and played the roles of an affectionate mother, devoted wife, loving daughter , dutiful sister, faithful friend and dedicated teacher. She taught us to respect people for who they are regardless of their financial or social background. She showed us by example how to face the world with confidence by being methodical, having faith in the Dhamma, and counting the blessings we already have. As we grew into young adults, together with Thaththa she stepped back. Without losing their authority they allowed us to reach out to them as friends. Our views were respected and we were involved in making decisions. Sometimes we had disagreements and arguments, over those rules and regulations that were not fully appreciated until we became parents. Parenting was made easy for us because we had a perfect role model to follow. During the past few years of her life we watched in pain, as the onset of dementia and loss of hearing gradually engulfed her. Very few people tried to understand her condition or had the patience to communicate with her. Yet, she carried herself confidently and proudly. Yes, she was a proud lady. She was proud of her alma mater Princess of Wales College, the unity of the three of us and thousands of children she has moulded into responsible citizens over three decades of teaching at Maliyadeva Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kurunegala. When we knelt beside her to pay our respects to her for the last time, we didn't give into the desperate feeling of wishing her to be our mother in our next birth. Not because we love her less, but because she deserves to be rid of all attachments to escape the suffering of sansara to attain Nirvana. Harindra
De Zylva He
never categorised people by race or creed Henry Jayakody graduated from the University of Peradeniya and having obtained his L.L.B., he was admitted as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon in 1964. He migrated to Canada in 1966 and obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious law schools, the Osgoode Hall Law School in 1968. He obtained his L.L.B., and was enrolled and admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1970. He established a lucrative practice as a lawyer in Ontario, with offices in Bellville, Bancroft and Toronto. He was a well-respected member of the Bar and had an excellent reputation as a barrister and solicitor who lived up to the highest ethics of the profession, a man of integrity and high principles. In 1976, he was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England. His compassionate nature and his desire to do his part in alleviating human suffering and sickness, took him on another course of study which was the science of acupuncture. He studied at the Colombo South Hospital in Kalubowila and in Osaka, Japan. Henry's career and interest in acupuncture gave him tremendous personal satisfaction as well as taking him to many and varied parts of the world. He worked as an integral member of the Substance Abuse Treatment programme initiated by the State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration and the City Health Department of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Thereafter he based himself in Toronto as a practising lawyer, but never wavered from his love of treating the sick with his vast knowledge and experience in acupuncture. He was a lover of books, classical music and nature. I have never known Henry to measure a person’s worth by his or her social status or bank balance . Henry called himself a citizen of planet earth and never categorized people by their race, creed, religion or caste. The last ten years of his life were spent in Sri Lanka. Henry was a man of honour and integrity. He was forthright and fearlessly stood up to what was wrong and unjust. His honour in life was so exceptional, many times he became a victim of those who could lie profusely under oath! He bore it all with dignity and fortitude. But ultimately, it took its toll. He passed away on August 21, 2004. He leaves behind his beloved wife Amala and his young and cherished daughter Lahiru, the 'sunshine' of his life. Daya de Silva |
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