Appreciations
View(s):His generosity knew no limits
Prathapa Wethasinghe
A unique personality of our times, Mahendranath Prathapa Wethasinghe (1965 -2024) bid farewell to all of us three months ago.
Prathapa was a brilliant colleague at our alma mater Dharmaraja College, Kandy. He hailed from an outstanding Kandyan family – his father Kumar Wethasinghe, a well known journalist and his mother Piyaseeli Wethasinghe, an educationist. His brothers Srinath (now in the UK), Udhara and Pualsthi were also Rajans and Keshari, his fond sister was a Bishopian.
During our schooldays we used to say, “Mahamaya kellek mata ganta labedo.” Prathapa achieved it when he married a Mahamaya girl – Dr. Champika. He was also the proud father of Lakshitha, an engineer now in Australia.
Prathapa was a gentleman par excellence.
He excelled in the field of accountancy and migrated to Australia where he was employed at Messers Coles Ltd as Senior Financial Analyst at their head office.
During the last few years, he visited his family back home and all his friends. His most recent visit was in March this year with his wife and son.
Prathapa’s generosity knew no limits. He sent medicines to Sri Lanka for his friends, relatives and even unknown people. He contributed silently to religious institutions, elders’ homes and orphanages, both here and abroad.
His last mission was to attend a seven-day meditation programme. On his return home, he fell sick. Proving that all components are impermanent and all conditions are transient and sorrowful, he bade farewell to his loved ones.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.Ananda Melpitiya
Memories of a son who made the ultimate sacrifice
Niroshan Srideva
My dearest son Niroshan Srideva, a final year medical student at Sri Jaywardenepura Medical Faculty was murdered at Colpetty at his residence on July 6, 2001 at 3 a.m. by unknown assailants. He sacrificed his life to save me, his father.
He studied at D.S. Senanayake College and following his A’Level exam, he was called for Dentistry – he missed being selected to do Medicine by one mark. He immediately went to India to meet his beloved guru, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Even though he couldn’t get an interview with Swami but had his divine Dharshan, mentally we both appealed to Swami about his doing medicine. We returned the same day to Sri Lanka.
A week later, we had a call from Puttarpathi in India at 12 midnight. The caller just said ‘Calling to tell you your son will be selected for medicine,”. We were delighted. Just a week later, we had a call from the University Grants Commission that he had been selected as a chosen student had dropped out. It really was a miracle for us.
Niroshan from the age of eight, was a devotee of Sai Baba and became a pure vegetarian. He started by attending Bal Vikas classes and excelled in Bajan singing, playing musical instruments like the tabla. Later he became a leader of the youth with the Colombo Sathya Sai organisation.
He minimised his speech, and enjoyed living with minimal possessions. During his free time, he read books about Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Ramana Maharishi, Swami Ramakrishna, Swami Ramadas, Parama Himasa and Swami Vivekananda.
He loved meditation and his behaviour was like a person who had surrendered his mind, intellect, ego and memory to his guru.
The tragic and brutal loss of Niroshan has left an unfillable and painful void in my heart for the past 23 years but I have to accept the verdict of the all-knowing Brahman to liberate him from this ocean of worldly Samsara.
Your everloving Dad
Dr. Srideva
A man of vast knowledge and humble servant of God
Frederick Medis
L.W. Frederick Medis was called to be with his Maker on May 15, after 97 years of fruitful service to God, the Anglican Church and society. He was born on December 28, 1926 and studied at St. John’s Boys’ College, Nugegoda where he was a brilliant student. This was a time when most parishioners attended the parish schools. As he wanted to be employed soon, he did not pursue higher education and instead joined the Railway Department.
He was a chorister, server and then a Warden of the Church of S. S. Mary and John, Nugegoda where he was a committed Sunday School teacher and Superintendent from 1943 to 1969, a larger part of those 25 years being as Superintendent. He directed the annual Sunday School nativity play in Nugegoda.
He was a member and the Assistant Secretary of the Diocesan Sunday School Committtee from its inception and in this capacity, he produced much teaching material and syllabi, also training many Sunday School teachers.
Mr. Medis has the record of being a Diocesan Councillor for over 50 years continuously until the change in the Constitution. He was a member of the Church of Ceylon’s Standing Committee for over 20 years and took pride in the fact that he was in the electoral body that elected every Bishop of Colombo from the first Sri Lankan Bishop, Bishop Harold de Soysa to Bishop Dushantha Rodrigo (16 Bishops).
He was a past President of the Christian Literature Society and perhaps the last survivor of the youth who participated at the inaugural Church of Ceylon Youth Movement rally in 1942.
Mr. Medis was a widely recognized antiquarian research worker ( F. C. S. A.) and a much respected Council Member of the Royal Asiatic Society, the National Trust of Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Society of Arts and the Sri Lanka Natural History Society. He was a renowned and knowledgeable stamp collector and coin collector and past President of the Philatelic Society and Numismatic Society of Sri Lanka. He also served as a Consultant to the Museum and the Postal Department.
He was also a founder member of the Lions Club of Nugegoda and held office in Lions Club International.
He had a vast knowledge of history which he shared humbly and readily with younger enquirers and his lectures and writings have been broadcast and published locally and abroad. His research on the first Anglican churches in Sri Lanka (S. Thomas’, Gintupitiya and St. John’s, Chundikuli) and the early missionary activity in the plantations are seminal works. He edited ‘ A History of the Church of Ceylon 1945 – 1995’. Like Goldsmith’s Village Schoolmaster, about Fred Medis we used to wonder how this small head could contain all that he knew!
At various meetings, several generations of Councillors remember Mr. Medis rising to a Point of Order quoting chapter and verse of the Constitution (CCR) that had been transgressed, or when a debate was getting inordinately long, propose “That the question now be put” in his impeccable, correctly pronounced English, putting an end to any further talk!
His wife Esme and son Arjuna predeceased him many many years ago. Fred Medis can well say with St. Paul ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness’ (2Timothy 4:7-8).
Dr. Narmasena F. Wickremesinghe
Tribute to a gracious lady, 93 years but young at heart
Indrani Munasinha
I pen a few words with great sadness over the loss of Indrani Achchi. She held a special place in my heart and as I sat down miles away, I thought about all the memories I have of her.
Indrani Achchi was a passionate social service worker who dedicated most of her life to social work. She held office in various positions and served the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya, Colombo 4, for over a period of 60 years. She never failed to attend the monthly committee meetings and other events until her last breath at the age of 93. Her number one priority was the care and love given to its residents.
She was orderly and always dressed up for the occasion. Beautiful clothing, often a saree or a lungi with matching jewellery and some lightly shaded lipstick. Wherever she went and even when at home, she made it a point to look well presented.
She was multi-talented. She was a ‘MasterChef’ and had many recipes for which she was famous for. She also enjoyed gardening and needlework during her free time.
Whenever we visited her, she made sure we had a platter of food to indulge in, including sweets and savouries. Never did she let us leave hungry. Amongst the many desserts she made, my favourite was her Coffee Souffle. The last time I met her was when my husband and I visited Sri Lanka for a holiday and she made sure we both were fed and lovingly gave us some Sri Lankan sweets to take back with us.
She was fond of gardening with a natural talent and spent time attending to her garden which she was very proud of during her free time. One section of her garden was dedicated to various types of beautiful, vibrant and delicate orchids. In addition, she spent a lot of her free time doing meticulous and detailed needlework she used to decorate her house with and gift her loved ones.
Of all her skills, the biggest is that she could walk into a room and make it bright, just like a ray of sunshine. Achchi, you may have passed on, but your memories would always live on within every heart you touched. Wherever you are, I know you are in a much better place. You will never be forgotten and will be loved by many, forever.
May you attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Vindu Palihakkara
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