Appreciations
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An
authority on cricket, he played a great innings It was late 1990s, that my association with Uncle Harold resumed. This time much closer and the bonds were strong. I cannot ever forget the post cards he would send me with words of advice. The cards that he sent out to celebrate his birthday, to which I was a privileged recipient, clearly portrayed the great humour he possessed in addition to his tremendous skills as a great writer or even a poet. His knowledge of cricket I am sure was unsurpassed in this country. It was no surprise to see great personalities such as Keith Miller, Sir Donald Bradman, Richie Benaud and the Chappells as well as Sunil Gavaskar choose to associate him closely. He had so much to offer and they did recognize it. The handwritten letters of the legendary Don Bradman, as well as the numerous letters he had received from the others, only confirm his level of acceptance amongst the greats of cricket. As for St. Joseph's, Uncle Harold was the complete Joe. His loyalty to the school was confirmed by the fact that he kept a record of first XI matches of St. Joseph's College, possibly from its inception until his sad demise. And the numerous telephone conversations he had had with me reminiscing of the past and some of the proud moments of the college only illustrated his love and commitment to the alma mater. The college did bestow on him the ultimate honour when he was invited to be the chief guest at the last big match. I do recall him speaking of his happiness that he had been recognized by the school he loved most. Whilst I always knew that Uncle Harold used to be very good at lamenting often, that his death wouldn't come as soon as he wanted it, he was deeply saddened the day I telephoned to break the news of the death of his great friend Keith Miller! I do remember that the death of Sir Donald Bradman was a shock he found very difficult to bear. But the loss of Miller was just unthinkable as they were very special friends. His first reaction to my call was silence and then he choked with emotion. I do recall his words, which went like "I have sent him a letter to cheer him as he is sick. He will never get it now. It is very sad". The last time I spoke to Uncle Harold was just before I left for Pakistan for the two tests between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. As usual he was a source of strength urging me to keep the flag flying of both the country and the school and of course wishing me the best of everything. I will always remember the great times we had. He was a great believer in the almighty God, a devout Catholic and was very faithful to what he believed in. Roshan Abeysinghe A
better friend in difficult times than in happier days I had known Nimalsiri for more than 25 years. He belonged to a rare breed of humans - a man of modest means, but with a heart of gold. To most of his friends, he was a better friend in difficult times than he was in happier days. Some years ago, a mutual friend of ours who was a well-to-do person, lost everything in life and was seriously ill. Many of his friends deserted him because materially he was of no use to them anymore. It was during this sad episode that I was truly able to judge Nimalsiri's nature, qualities and character. He stood by this friend for years, visiting him almost daily and when he finally died in hospital, Nimalsiri was by his side. It was these qualities that made him the unique and lovable man that he was. When I fell ill, he being a Buddhist, came all the way from Piliyandala driving his vehicle, despite failing eyesight, to accompany me to church because he knew I could not walk unaided and did not have a vehicle to travel. By
this act of kindness he not only displayed his sterling qualities
of friendship, but also stood out as a shining example to many of
us in an era where religious disharmony is rampant. The news of
his death was shocking because it was only few weeks earlier that
he accompanied me to church and he was, as usual, in good spirits
with no sign of illness. In any gathering he was the livewire with
his inexhaustible anecdotes and in all the many years I was fortunate
to know him I cannot recall an occasion when he lost his temper
or spoke ill of any one. He was, to all his associates, an irreplaceable
friend. Nihal Arseculeratne He
was a tower of strength to us Whenever I was pinned down with an angina attack particularly in the middle of the night, it was Thiru whom my wife summoned, not a doctor. A very modest, genial, effervescent man, who during his bachelor days even had the time to sing with a reputed band in Colombo, Thiru was very supportive when I was hospitalized for cardio-vascular surgery. The Thirunavukarasu couple did whatever was humanly possible for us. In a nut shell they were a tower of strength. From what I have been told by others Thiru and Thanji assisted many a countryman who was in distress in the sandy kingdom. Fortunately that unselfish trait which is sadly lacking in our present society has been passed down to their son, Thushan. A few days prior to entering hospital in Colombo for an undisclosed ailment he called on us, we exchanged so many hilarious stories of our days in our respective schools that passers- by had to peep in to check the din. That was the last time I saw Thiru. I had known Thiru only for about a year and I am bitterly disappointed I did not have the occasion to know him longer. That was bad luck for me. On returning from my home town Kandy in late November last year, I was told by my wife that Thiru had left us while I was in transit; the human race lost a good man. It is a year since we lost him on November 28. The void he left will be impossible to fill; it is a misery to be parted from those you liked. My
thoughts of Thiru's loss are aptly described by Dante Alighieri Bandula Jayawickreme A
helpful neighbour and friend Born at Unawatuna, Galle and educated at Galle Mahinda College, he excelled in his studies as a young student and was a popular pupil. After leaving school he joined the Co-operative Department as an inspector and retired as a staff assistant. He was versatile. His knowledge extended to many fields such as electricity and building construction. Besides all his talents, he was a helpful neighbour and friend indeed. His simple, unassuming ways won the hearts of all those who came in contact with him. He was generous and sociable. He entertained his colleagues every year at a special "Mithuru Hawula". He
was also a member of several welfare societies, and a prominent
"Dayaka" of a temple. As a dear husband and affectionate
father, he performed his duties with great zeal. His sudden demise
remains an irreparable loss but he lives forever in our hearts. A family friend
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