Hendrick Samarasekare was my eldest paternal uncle. He was born in Devundara, in the deep south of Sri Lanka, and grew up in Matara.
He was the eldest in his family, and in true Sri Lankan tradition, assumed special responsibility as the eldest sibling. The welfare of his brothers and sisters, and even of his many nephews and nieces, was always uppermost in his mind, even after he moved to Australia.
He lived to a ripe old age, enjoying the loving attention of his wife, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.
He migrated to Australia mainly to be near his only child and her family. In Australia, he made many friends to. Until his granddaughter entered her teens, he would accompany her to school daily. He was very happy to see her grow up and become a wife and mother.
My uncle worked in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Sri Lanka for 36 years. On his retirement, the Secretary to the Ministry had this to say of his service and commitment: “Mr. Samarasekera retired from the position of Assistant Post Master General (Administration), which post he had held with ability and distinction for the last two years.
Altogether he counts 36 years’ service in the Posts and Telecommunications Department, and throughout his long career he has excelled in both accounting and administrative functions.
“The stupendous task of clearing the backlog of work in the Money Order Department, which was hopelessly in arrears, is a lasting monument to his untiring efforts and singleness of purpose. By his skill, he was able to lay bare a large-scale M.O. fraud during this period, which is testimony to his integrity.”
His devotion and commitment to family life and to his profession was exceptional.
His was a life of Dana, Sila and Bhavana. He was kind, generous and loyal.
May his sojourn in Sansara be short.
Manori Samarasekare |
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