Leelawathi’s ‘never too old to learn’ mantra earns her a Master’s
The spry nonagenarian greets us over the phone from her home in Nawalapitiya, her voice still clarion clear as in the days when she was an English teacher based in Veyangoda. Asked why she opted for a Master’s in her nineties, Leelawathi says she has always loved expanding her horizons, and learning ‘more and more’ new things.
A proud moment for all: Leelawathi at the convocation ceremony with her daughters
Born in Horana on November 30, 1927, Leelawathi recalls a happy childhood when she was privileged being pretty much “the only child in the neighbourhood”. What led her to the world of letters was her love for nature she says, classic Sinhalese literature and history being tied to the world of forest and lake; temple and wewa.
Determination: A helping hand to walk up to the stage at the ceremony. Pix by Ruwan Pushpa Kumara, Kelaniya University's Media Unit
Having attended the girls’ school in Millewa, Leelawathi completed her ‘O’ Levels in 1946. After a career as an English teacher which began at the Ruggahawila Meewala Mixed School, she became a Notary Public, passing the exam with distinction, the only woman to pass that year.
In 1962, Leelawathi married Chitrasoma Jayalath, also a notary. They settled down in Nawalapitiya the same year.
They have four daughters: Dhammika (currently the Western Province Health Director); Samudra (a professor at the Federation University, Australia); Indraneela (a Peradeniya-graduated teacher) and Manohari (a lawyer). The daughters have two children each.
It was her husband who first took Leelawathi and the children to the Embekke Devale, where the classic wood carvings in the pavilion called Drummers’ Hall caught her imagination. Her master’s thesis was consequently on the ancient lifestyles as revealed by those wood carvings. “The choice was in tribute to my late husband,” says Leelawathi.
While she was the Notary Public of Gampola, she would frequently travel, children in tow, to Embekke.
Chitrasoma having passed away due to a heart attack in 1970, Leelawathi from then on brought up her brood single-handed.
Leelawathi is still an assiduous reader and daughter Indraneela laughingly remarks that she is “never seen without a book in hand.”
Says Dr. Iromi Ariyaratne, Academic Coordinator of the MA degree programme at the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies: “(Mrs. Leelawathi’s) unwavering commitment to her studies, punctuality in assignments, and dedication to attending online lectures stand as a powerful testament to lifelong learning. Supported by her daughters and grandchildren she is an inspiring example for the younger generation, demonstrating that age is no barrier to pursuing one’s academic passions.”
Certainly the oldest student ever enrolled at Kelaniya, Leelawathi would possibly have made a world record but for Virginia Hislop who, in June this year, received her master’s in education at the age of 105 from Stanford University.
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