The news of the passing away of Mrs. Lizzie Jayawardena on May 28, reached us a week after her demise. She had been ailing for some time, but was looked after by her daughters, especially Ranjanie, her second daughter, during her last days.
All of us who knew her well will not forget her. Her ready smile and her charm and friendliness when she greeted us, whenever we visited, will never fade from our memories. To me she was a dear mother, always happy to welcome me, whenever I visited the family to meet my dear friend Rupa, her eldest daughter.
My earliest encounter with her was when the family was living in Nupe, Matara. Later, after moving to Dehiwala, she was able to see her children completing their education, finding employment in their chosen professions, getting married and bringing up her grandchildren.
I enjoyed being in her company and that of the whole family. Whenever I had work in Colombo, I would stay a few days with them, in Dehiwala, enjoying Rupa’s mother’s hospitality.
A teacher by profession, she enlightened the minds of hundreds of children in and around Matara and Dehiwala. She belonged to an older generation of teachers, genuinely interested in the progress of their students and giving them all the assistance and encouragement they needed.
She was a devout Buddhist, leading a simple and righteous life. She participated in the Buddhist and social activities of the temples nearby, fulfilling her responsibilities without much fanfare. She found time for others too, giving happiness to those who sought her assistance. She was a good mother to all her daughters’ friends.
I will always remember the sight of her smiling face, her eyes filled with tears of happiness, as she applauded us – her daughter Rupa, Padmini and myself – when we received our Bachelor of Arts degrees from the Chancellor, Sir Oliver Gunatilleke, the then Governor General of Sri Lanka, at the University of Peradeniya, in 1960.
In April 1970, she lost her dear husband, Pinoris Wickramasinghe, a scholar of languages, who was honoured by the Muslim community of Sri Lanka for his translation of the Holy Quran into Sinhala.
The untimely deaths of her sons, Sarath and Anura, in the late 1980s, caused her deep sorrow. During these difficult times, she was greatly comforted by her Buddhist way of life and the presence of her children and grandchildren.
As the years rolled by, and when her children moved on, she would find solace in visiting them. She derived much pleasure from the company of her grandchildren. The last time I visited her and Rupa, she was with her youngest daughter Sirina. Old age was creeping up, but she recognised me and gave me her blessings when I paid my obeisance at her feet. She had adapted herself to a comfortable and contented life in her old age.
Fond memories of the good old days with her flood my mind. Ranjanie and the other members of her family who looked after her tenderly during her last days will greatly miss her. My deepest sympathies go to her daughters Rupa, Ranjanie and Sirina, her sons-in-law, and her dear grandchildren.
By Shivarani Jayawardena |
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