One cannot easily accept the death of a beloved person, especially someone who has loved and cared for you throughout life’s journey. I never thought Seeya would leave us so suddenly. I deeply regret that I was not in the country to be by his side when he passed away.
Seeya, who was known as “Lionel” and lovingly called “Beebi”, was an exceptional person who had a close relationship with God. He prayed the Rosary every day to Our Blessed Mother. For 25 years of his life, he never failed to attend daily mass at St. Philip Neri’s Church.
Seeya liked to say his prayers aloud. He never missed his daily prayers, which he recited with vigour. I will not forget how he would pray for me and Malli during our examinations. It was not just a small prayer, but a prayer session that started at the precise time we started writing for the exam and lasted until we had finished the exam.
For his unfailing faith, Seeya was rewarded by God Almighty during his lifetime, and especially in the last days of his life. Fr. Ernest de Mel, parish priest of St. James Church, Modera, did everything required. He was at Seeya’s bedside, offering his soul to the Lord, when Seeya breathed his last, to join his beloved wife who passed away 10 years previously.
This truly endorses Our Lady’s promises for praying the daily Rosary: “Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary, shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.”
The Lord called Seeya to his eternal home on June 24, 2009, before he could taste his 90th birthday cake. Seeya would have been 90 on September 1, 2009. But he was granted the grace of seeing 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grand children during his long and fruitful life of 89 years.
Seeya was loved and cared for by his children Rukmani, the late Selvarani, Ann, Suranimala, Nirmalee and Surendra, as well as by his sons and daughters-in-law, the late Milton, Tennyson, Damayanthi, Virgil and Attracta.
He was blessed to see his two sons and their families who returned from Australia to be with him before he left them forever.
I thank God for all the blessings He showered upon Seeya throughout his lifetime, giving Seeya his cheerful and pleasant smile that remained to the last.
Goodbye, Seeya. Even though you are not with us now, you will always live in our hearts. May you find eternal happiness in God’s Heavenly Abode.
Varuna de Silva |
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