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Appreciations

A kind and sincere friend
Dr. Kumar Weerasekera
My good, sincere and honest friend Dr. Kumar Weerasekera is no more.
I met Kumar and his beloved wife Dushie when they were serving at the Mahiyangana District Hospital where I had to serve for a short period when I was attached to the Teaching Hospital - Kandy in 1980.

When I went there both Kumar and Dushie cordially welcomed me and even told me that I could stay with them. This was a very great relief to me at that time in an unknown distant place.

Kumar as the officer-in-charge of the institution gave me all the assistance that a head of an institution could give to a professional colleague, so that I was able to exercise my duties happily. In the evenings after work we used to go to some of the small lakes in the area for fishing.

Late in the evenings we habitually went to Dr. Somasiri's dispensary which was close to the hospital to play cards. Kumar and I were always on one side and Dr. Somasiri's brother Dr. Dharmasiri and his cousin Sisira were on the opposite.

I never felt that it was a difficult station to work, since Kumar took a lot of trouble and a personal interest to keep me and all the others in the staff happy.

He was popular among the people of the area. Both the Chief priest of the temple and the Catholic priest designated to the area from the diocese of Badulla were frequent visitors to his residence. As time passed, I had to fulfill my mission and get back to the Teaching Hospital in Kandy.

At the same time Kumar too got a transfer to the Cancer Institute, Maharagama. Subsequently, when I came to the Dental Institute, Colombo on transfer, Kumar used to come and meet me. He never hesitated to help anybody if it was within his ability.

Once I called him to get assistance for a relation of mine who was suffering from a cancer and at once he said "Bernard I will do everything that is possible".

He held the post of President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association some time back. He was also the President of the Government Medical Officers’ Association until the time of his demise.

On March 20 he was about to leave with some oncologists to attend a conference on breast cancer in France. Unfortunately at the airport he had got a massive heart-attack. Kumar was a member of the noble profession who had many noble qualities. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Dushyanthie, two daughters and son.
May he rest in peace.

Dr. Bernard Tirimanne

‘May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’
Therese Thaneswari Douglas
It is with a deep sense of sorrow that I write this humble tribute to the memory of Therese. In fact, death struck her swiftly and suddenly on March 6, underlining the Biblical saying that “in the midst of life we are in death".
My association with her dates back more than two decades, since both of us worked in the Davasa Group of papers for a short period. In life she fulfilled all the responsibilities that any mortal is called upon to perform.

She was an affectionate and dutiful mother, a loyal and trustworthy friend. Besides, she was a veteran journalist of exceptional calibre, deeply religious and God fearing. Perhaps, it is some consolation for all those who loved her, that Therese was spared the agony and anguish of illness of which she experienced very little, and that her life was snuffed out in a few moments.
As a journalist she excelled in her profession. She worked in the Sun as a reporter and thereafter the Upali group of papers employed her as a sub editor in the Island.

She was a good sub-editor and did her work with meticulous care, dedication, devotion and total commitment. She was always particular about deadlines in the production of the paper and did all her pages in time.

When the Virakesari started an English paper, "Weekend Express'' she joined this paper as Features Editor. As Features Editor she carried out her responsibilities with honesty and loyalty and gave publicity to articles pertaining to politics, economics, culture and religion and won the respect and confidence of the reading public. Her feature articles were well balanced and she always maintained impartiality and independence.

Therese got on very well with her friends, colleagues from all other newspapers, relations and other associates. She was of great assistance to all her juniors and never hesitated to help anyone in need. She was one of the most courteous and sweetest of friends and was broadminded, tolerant and spiritual.

After working at the Weekend Express for a few years she joined Lake House and was attached to the Daily News in the Features Department until her untimely death.

Therese's only child Arushan V.S. Kirk excelled in his studies at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and now holds a high position in a private organization.
Never will I forget her thoughtfulness and kindness.

I wish to quote the following in loving memory of her:
"To the uninitiated, she brought the light of knowledge,
To the feeble the power of strength;
To the sinner the liberation of forgiveness;
To the suffering the peace of mercy;
To the comfortless, comfort.."

Indeed, "She was a loving mother to her only son, a journalist of great ability, and a deeply religious servant of her maker."
May I say: "Goodnight sweet princess and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest"

Leslie Pollocks

He belonged to a respected breed of judges
A.W. Gooneratne
The late A.W. Gooneratne, well known among his friends as "Mons" was a dedicated judicial officer of yesteryear, who belonged to a respected breed of judges. He served the judiciary of this country for 25 years sacrificing much of his personal life in the course of his judicial duties. After retirement he was engaged in social service work and took a keen interest to help the needy, until his demise in April last year.

He cared about the needy, very deeply, and with his innovative welfare schemes, he helped many children to shape their destiny. A man of vision, he formed an organisation that helped many who lost their livelihood, to get back on their feet. While many supported his schemes founded by his own savings, there were those who ridiculed and laughed at him. Against all odds he managed to keep these schemes afloat providing some economic benefits to the poorest of the poor.

I personally have spoken to many children and adults who benefited from these schemes. There were many unemployed youths who received three wheelers and many schoolchildren who received stationery and school books.
The late Mr. Gooneratne was also there to help relations maybe financially or with his valuable advice. He was an active counsellor on many occasions when relatives had conflicts with each other, and was able to bring about amicable settlements.

His beloved late wife Linda, gave him all the support he needed for his illustrious career, and the social service he rendered. She was his guiding light and also his most ardent admirer.
May his sojourn in Sansara be short and blissful.
Ever loving nephew

Ajeet Fernando

He showed the path to honesty, truth and integrity
M.I.H.M. Nazeer
Born in Galle, when the so-called "Great War" (First World War) was at its height M.I.H.M. Nazeer - or Nazeer as he was more popularly known - was essentially a man of peace. The tranquillity that was forever clearly visible upon his face to the last, was a mirror image of the quiet, peaceful and upright man that was quintessentially Nazeer, our Dad.

Having grown up in Galle Fort - and been educated at St. Aloysius' College, Galle, Dad received his higher education in the precepts that were expounded by the Holy Prophet Mohammad SAL (p.b.u.h) centuries ago.

Living his early years during the First World War in Sri Lanka was by no means an easy task, but our Dad always found inner peace and contentment (in any given situation) in the religion he professed.

Later, marrying and moving to Colombo after a brief stay in Galle, Dad did not take long to become one of the most respected businessmen in Pettah, after founding and establishing Stylex Footwear and Fashion Centre in First Cross Street in 1948 - which he nurtured and built-up from scratch.

Though physically only of average stature, Dad was throughout his lifetime, able to "walk tall" among his peers because of his firmly-held beliefs that shunned dishonesty, deceit and deception - together with his sense of inner discipline - which were his greatest gifts to us, his four sons.

"So shall he rise like a Cedar on the mountain;
His head shall be seen above the trees of the forest".
We, his children always found his quiet, subtle wit to be one of the main reasons why others sought him out, for his company. Often were the times when a subtle joke of his, said with an emotionless poker face, took several moments before others realized the "punch" in the punch-line - and virtually collapsed in laughter. Our Dad Nazeer had an uncanny ability to influence others with his wit, as he did with his exemplary life-style.

In as much as he was an icon in the business life of Pettah, Dad was also a keen sportsman with his chief interests being cricket and football - especially football, having in his youth played in the national team and done our motherland proud.

Having tragically lost his wife, our mother, rather early in his married life, Dad took upon himself - in addition to all of his other responsibilities and duties - the role of mother to all of us his four sons, ensuring that we lacked for nothing whatever - be it parental love and care, a good education or the instilling into us, the importance of those basic moral values in our adult lives.
From the very day that Mother passed away, he was a loving father and mother to all of us in a dual role for the greater part of his lifetime. He used to often tell us that it is more important in life to earn friends even more than money (a guiding rule of his) - and the great host of people at his funeral bore eloquent testimony to this fact.

We, his sons, recall nother words of advice that our Dad, Nazeer gave us - to always visit a person who was ill or who had suffered a misfortune, to console him and to strengthen him.

Dad is no longer with us having gone to his eternal reward, but the legacy that he has left us his sons, other family members and all who knew him, is the knowledge that truth, honesty and integrity of character are the milestones by which we too may share in this reward - if only we follow in his footsteps along the pathway he has shown us.

May Almighty Allah grant him Jannathul Firdhous.
His sons, Rizan, Rinaz, Rimzi and Rizni

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