APPRECIATIONS
View(s):She was devoted to her work and serving others
Swarna Jayaweera
She was our kid sister – the youngest in a family of seven girls. She was a much-loved teacher who rendered almost 60 years of dedicated service to the cause of education. Many and varied were the subjects she taught throughout the years – Political Science, Economics, Sinhala, English, Buddhism being some of them. She taught at Dehiwala Central, Holy Family Convent Dehiwala, Mahanama College, Alethea International, Lyceum International and Musaeus College.
She possessed many admirable qualities – generosity, patience, integrity, amiability, and loyalty. She was a person whose life was characterised by devotion to work and serving others. With her clear-sighted vision, total commitment, and concern about others, she has helped several people who had come to her with their problems. She never sought publicity, but went on in quiet efficiency throughout the years, always giving of her best. Generations of young men and women will surely reap the benefits of her high ideals and values. Even after retirement she had private classes at home and enjoyed imparting knowledge to the students who were very grateful to her.
She was the pivot around which the family unit revolved. She was a devoted wife to Jay who sadly predeceased her in 2012. She symbolised the quintessential qualities of motherhood. She was an exemplary mother, whose devotion and concern for her children extended far beyond their childhood years. Her unconditional love and understanding allowed her children to seek their own paths in life, and they are doing extremely well today. She was blessed with two precious children, Nilusha and Chinthaka, who looked after her with so much care and devotion.
She was a much-loved mother-in-law to Vasanthi and Prasad and a doting grand mother to her four grand-daughters – Shanali, Ruhini, Maheli and Methuli. She was a loving aunt to all her nieces and nephews who affectionately called her Chuttan.
She was a devout Buddhist who lived by the great principles which she upheld till the very last moment of her life. Her death was a quiet and peaceful passing away, same as the way she lived, without being a burden to anybody.
Though she is gone, she will always be remembered by all those who knew her and were privileged to associate with her.
May her journey in Sansara be short – and may she attain the Supreme bliss of Nibbana!
Chatra S. Withana
She personified truth and selflessness
Indrani Pandita
Our great mom left us on January 2 this year. We who mourn her loss are left with the fragrant memory of a beautiful life, well lived in selfless service to everybody who came across her irrespective of their status in society.
This encomium is the most deserving for a lady who lived an exemplary life with an encyclopaedic knowledge of a variety of subjects encapsulated in her mind. This quality was the influence she gathered from her childhood days because she was an ardent believer in the Vedanta philosophy which is enshrined in ancient Hindu Scripture, which propagated selflessness.
She was a visiting member of the Vedanta Academy in Pune, India. Her book about the Vedanta Philosophy which she began working on three years back will be brought to light in concurrence with the founder’s day of the Academy of Vedanta founded by Vedanta philosopher R. Partha-sarathi.
We are eternally indebted to our mother for her quality of truth and perfection. May she attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Daughters Himashi and Shehara Gunawardane and son
Anuradha Gunawardhene
She had a heart of gold, always ready to help anyone in need
APRILLE TAMBIMUTTU
I first met Aprille when I joined Methodist College in 1954 – when I was almost ten years old. We were in the same class and I well recall how friendly she was on that first day – a friendship that continued over the next few years we were in school. Her mother Muriel Aiyadurai was a teacher in school, much loved by the students.
I would often go to visit Aprille at her lovely home where her parents would always welcome me and her other friends, and we would have a hilarious chat about school times and end up with a delicious meal. She also shared my love for animals and we had fun with our pets when we visited each other! When I lived down Milagiriya Avenue, Aprille would also visit me with mutual friends and we would dash down the road and walk along the beach enjoying the sea! Even when we had our holiday breaks we would meet up almost every week.
In later years, Aprille and many others in my class left for Peradeniya and we couldn’t meet up as much as we used to.
After I was married and busy with my two children it wasn’t too easy to meet. Then Aprille got married to Freud and left for London. I well recall visiting her in London where she worked as a teacher, and how she took us around to some well known museums and art galleries. After Freud died and she returned to Sri Lanka we began meeting again.
Aprille was one of the cleverest girls in our class but she was very unassuming and never boasted about her achievements. She had a heart of gold and was always ready to be there for anyone who needed help. These characteristics remained all through her life.
I will always remember Aprille as one of my dearest friends, who always cared for me in a kind and loving way. I know she is safe in the arms of Jesus and looking down at us smiling that wonderful smile! May she rest in peace with the Lord.
Anthea Senaratna
Gifted musician and kind and caring uncle
Anthony Leitan
The symphony orchestra of Heaven wanted a bassist, so they called my uncle Anthony Leitan on March 14, 1971 to join it, leaving us in shock and grief.
He was a member of the Colombo Orchestra, the forerunner of the present Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL) playing under the baton of the late Douglas Ferdinand, Hussein Mohamed and Dr. Earle de Fonseka. His musical versatility was such that he was equally at home with the music of the great classical composers or playing with Saschas Melodists in the Mascarilla Night Club of the Galle Face Hotel, or doing film music with Pandit Khemadasa.
He must be watching with pride as his granddaughter Andrea goes on stage with the SOSL, his beloved double bass in her talented hands.
His family and music were his only loves but his generous heart took in the six of us, children of his wife’s sister, treating us like his own.
The bond he fostered thus is still strong even though we are nearing or past the three score and ten of the Bible.
He was not a brother-in-law but a father figure to my parents and with deep nostalgia, I recall the love and peace my aunt and uncle shared with him. Never was there any discord.
My impulsiveness, quick temper and bossy nature were gently admonished with a softly said, “Dolly, remember you are not God.”
We only knew of his generosity to poor widows, orphans and the less fortunate when they turned up to pay their last respects to him for he firmly believed that “your left hand should not know what your right hand gave.”
So darling uncle, till the broken links of our earthly chain are fixed again in heaven, this is Dolly (the name you called me at my birth) with a firm conviction that God has you in his keeping and we have you in our hearts.
Love and eternal gratitude, Dolly
He showed us the path to follow in meeting life’s challenges
LADISLAUS GABRIEL MOTHA
My father L.G. Motha (attorney-at-law) was the eldest child born to Joseph Motha and Agatha Fernandez on March 11, 1898. His younger siblings were Mary, Albert, Cyril and Christobel.
He was educated at St. Joseph’s Colombo, Colombo 10 during the tenure of world famous botanist Rev. Fr. Maurice Le Goc as Rector.
Due to the untimely demise of my grandfather the expenses associated with Dad’s education were borne by his maternal uncle. I remember my father recalling his student days at St. Joseph’s with his focus on being among the best students each year. With a sense of innate pride my father referred to his proudest moment at school when he achieved the top slot trailed by two classmates who went on to carve a niche in the legal profession being appointed as Queen’s Counsel in the days of yore.
Dad passed out as a lawyer in the early 1920’s and opted to join the reputed legal firm Julius & Creasy. After a few years of apprenticeship, he began his own practice and moved to his office at 371, Dam Street, Colombo literally in the shadow of the Supreme Court of Ceylon. He had a lucrative practice over the years and had to enlist the services of a young lawyer as his assistant to cope with the increasing number of clients.
Dad being the eldest was affectionately addressed as “Lokka” by his siblings, an appellation, we his children, also picked up in deference to his role as the head of the family. My parents married in November 1932 and were blessed with their eldest child in my brother Anton the following year. My mother Maureen Gomez had her education at Holy Cross Anglo Indian High School, Tuticorin, where her granddaughter Rev. Sr. Fatima Motha, also a past student is currently the Mother Superior. Our parents decided to send their sons to St. Benedict’s College and daughters to Good Shepherd Convent, the leading schools in Colombo North.
It is to the credit of my father that he continued his practice for well over 50 years when it was time to retire and enjoy his grandchildren and great grandchildren. My siblings join me in thanking God for the blessing of parents who by precept and example showed us the paths to follow in meeting the challenges of life interspersed with inculcating in us firm discipline.
Dear Dad we wish you a Happy 125th Birthday in Heaven and send our greetings and love in prayer.
Eric Motha
He would make the ‘im’ in impossible vanish
Lorensz James Peiris (Laurie)
“Golden memories and silver tears” sang Jim Reeves of his lost love. It aptly describes how life has been these past three years since our beloved Dada was suddenly called to his heavenly home on March 13, 2020.
To Dada we were his universe, and so was he to us. Our birthdays were special. We would be woken up with a hug and a kiss, whatever we had hinted we wanted, gift-wrapped, in his outstretched hands. If we grumbled that something was difficult, be it a school lesson or athletics, he encouraged us to persevere with faith in God and confidence in ourselves, which he said smiling sweetly would make the ‘im’ in impossible vanish.
We faced the COVID threat with its difficulties feeling his loving hand protecting us.
Missing you Dada with love and growing sadness,
Your pining Devindree (Dids), Harshini (Miffy) and Senaka
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