My beloved brother Nothkachara de Silva Guardie Punchihewa passed away on July 25. He was 81 years old. His mortal remains were cremated at the Rawatawatta Crematorium on July 27.
He was the son of the late Mudaliyar A. De. S. G. Punchihewa and Mrs. Hettihewage Jane de Silva. We were a family with three children. His wife predeceased him by six years. He leaves behind a son, Pulathisi, and a daughter, Sumanjula.
He was a brilliant student. At Mahinda College, Galle, he excelled in Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and English. He sat for the university entrance examination, but as he was not successful in getting a place in the university, he sat for the Post & Telecommunications Clerical Examination. He served first as a clerk attached to the Post & Telecommunications Department Stores, Maradana.
In later years, utilizing his proficiency in Sinhala and English, he served as a translator in the Post Master General’s Department, Colombo, and retired from the department as a senior translator. He inherited his talents as an interpreter in Sinhala and English from our father, who was the Interpreter Mudliyar in Sinhala, English and Tamil in the District and Supreme Courts of Batticaloa and Chilaw and who, on retirement in 1940, served as the Press Examiner (Sinhala and English) in the Criminal Investigation Department.
After his retirement, my brother worked with the Sarvodaya Vishvalekha Publishers, Ratmalana, as editor of their newsletter “Danya”, under Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne. Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne paid him a glowing tribute for excellent services rendered to the newsletter.
He was a freelance journalist and a regular contributor to the “Sinhala Bauddhaya”, as he was well versed in Buddhist philosophy and was familiar with the world of local English newspapers.
In later years, my brother’s health started to decline after a fall.
His son Pulathisi and wife Pavani cared for him with unflagging devotion during his last illness. May my dear brother attain the full bliss of Nirvana.
His malli, Gamini
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