The demise of Lion Don Winkle Pathirana last month deprived our community of a sincere and dedicated social worker. Winkle lived the last 15 years of his long and happy life in Colombo to which he moved from Kandy for career reasons. However, he was essentially a Kandy man who studied at Dharmaraja College and worked as a banker mostly in Kandy.
I first met Winkle in Kandy 30 years ago when he became the first manager of the Bank of Ceylon second city branch in Kandy. He ended his distinguished career at the Bank of Ceylon in the early 1990s as one of its most experienced and senior bankers and then moved to the private sector.
Winkle was one of the charter members of the Lions Club of Senkadagala that was established in 1982. He was one of the most committed members of the club. He insisted on ethical conduct in all matters connected with the club and constantly reminded the club members that the main rationale for being a Lion was to render service to the community. In the late 1980s he was at the forefront in the battle to admit women as full members of Lions Clubs that many male members at that time were not quite willing to accept.
For almost quarter of a century Winkle held a major office in the Lions District cabinet. During that period almost every Governor came to rely on Lion Winkle, especially to properly administer the District and its forty plus clubs. With his death the Lions Movement in Sri Lanka lost one of its most dedicated members.
Winkle’s dear wife Mallika pre-deceased him. He is survived by his children Mahesh, Lalani and Channa, their respective spouses Rebecca, Chathura and Anouchka and a host of grandchildren who lost their beloved Seeya.
May he attain Nibbana.
Lion Sam |
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