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03:03 (5 hours ago)
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I am one of Mahendras medical school batch mates, & was fortunate to have interned, at Ratnapura general hospital, Sri Lanka with him. Fortunate, because living in the same intern’s quarters I got to know this exceptional man. Colla was always so soft spoken, a truly fine gentleman & I noticed had a talent for decorating ( quarters socials ) and a caring and diligent physician. Those who met him and I were lucky to have known him.
More recently he sent me wild life pictures after the trip to Sri Lanka. They were exceptional pictures that showed the artist in him.
I am like Mahendra, an anesthesiologist by training, but living in the USA, and several years ago my wife Rani & I visited Colla and Ramani in Gisborne. We stayed with them in that beautiful & award winning home, on the hill that that overlooked the bay & if I recall correctly, the bay into which captain Cook had sailed in. We therefore had a lot of stuff in common to talk about- having been medical school batch mates, co - interns & anesthetists. Colla and Ramani were gracious enough to entertain us & even take the trouble to drive us to distant Rotorua- sheep shearing & sulphur and hot water springs come to mind.
Indra Anandasabapathy
Indra had addressed this to Nishani. But as there was some doubt whether it reached her, I have modified it to suit the blog.
Lucky
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I heard from Sanath Lamabadusuriya, the shocking news that Mahendra Collure has passed away.
Mahendra was the Bestman at my wedding. When his wife Ramani was expecting their only child Nishani, my wife Mangala was also expecting our eldest son Shehan. Ramani was at St. Michael's Nursing Home at Alfred House Gardens and at the same time, Mangala was at St. Michaels's, Anderson Road where Dr. Rasamutthiah was a House Officer. Both Ramani and Mangala were under the care of Prof. Wilfred Perera.
May he attain Nibbana.
Lucky
Lucky
From: Chandrawije <chandrawije1@gmail.com>
Date:2017/06/01 4:06 PM (GMT+08:00)
To:
Cc:
Subject: Fwd: Don Collure
Dear Friends,
Another member of our 54 group has passed on. Dr. Don Bradman Mahendra Collure who worked in New Zealand is no more. May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Kind regards,
Sanath
Sent from my iPad.
Begin forwarded message:
Profl
Date: 1 June 2017 at 12:59:18 PM AEST
To: chandrawije1@gmail.com
Subject: Don Collure
Just to let you know Dad passed peacefully late last night-Mum and I were with him, he was surrounded by love. As he wanted it, we arranged for his cremation this afternoon. We visited him in hospice again this morning and he looked peaceful and beautiful- everdignified and magical. The 5 of us spent a bit of time with him at the parlour before his cremation and it was perfect. Mum remains strong. We are looking after her, she is Amazing.Blog Administrator's note: His real name is Don Bertram Mahendra Collure.
Nishani
Mahendra and I were fellow travellers from Nugegoda when we joined Medical School. He often gave me a lift home in his Vespa. We endured the rag and its rituals together. I do remember going for dancing classes in some seedy location in Dehiwela with Lucky Abey before a Colours night. He was an occasional billiards player and played a game of Table Tennis with me to while away the time. He had tremendous generosity, compassion and kindness which shone through in whatever he did or said. My abiding memory of Mahendra are the chats we had in the common room as he too belonged to my group for ward classes and appointments. He spoke no evil, said no evil and did no evil. He was most forgiving as he understood human nature more than most.
ReplyDeleteOut of the blue I had an email from Mahendra after reading one of my articles in the Sri Lankan papers. There after we communicated until he retired and went to be near his daughter in Wellington.
I wish I had the good fortune to meet him after our last goodbye in 1967. Sadly our paths never crossed.
His lovely smile and humorous banter are memories for us all
May he find the ultimate Bliss of Nirvana
It is always sad to hear the loss of a colleague. I have not met him after we qualified. I knew he was in New Zealand. I remember him as a very quiet person and of course for his unusual first names which I believe were given to him by his cricket loving father with the fond hope that DBM would one day become a top cricketer. Thanks for informing us.
ReplyDeleteI am also saddened to hear of "Colla" leaving us. His son described a beautiful, peaceful end to a good life. I was also in Ratnapura at the same time as DBM. I don't remember anyone called him Mahendra, when we were in Medical College or even in Ratnapura. I recall his smiling face as I write this. He was friendly, gracious and kind, and had a good sense of humor. My sympathies are with his family at this time.
ReplyDeleteDBM and myself were together from the baby class in the Royal Primary school and later at RC, In the RPS I usually won the class prize and he won the merit award for coming second ,except for one year where the order was reversed. We were together at the Colombo Medical Faculty. In the late 1970s I met him in Colombo after he returned from UK after specialising in anaesthesia. After he left for New Zealand I never met him. As many others have said he was always a very quiet, cheerful person who got on very well with his classmates and batchmates,
ReplyDeleteMay he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana
Sanath
From Zita:
ReplyDeleteMahen Collure our dear, dear friend
Death made a dash to bring you the end
Of this life you valued greatly
Perhaps was a bit painful lately
We wish you peace, serenity, rest
And to your family all life’s best!
Beautifully and poetically expressed Zita
DeletePoignant , Zita.
DeleteThanks, Mahendra and Indra! I think you both have always encouraged and inspired me. Zita
DeleteThanks Lucky. I always thought (till now) that he was Don Bradman. I just read his obituary notice in the Daily News.
ReplyDeleteCOLLURE - DR DON BERTRAM MAHENDRA. Beloved husband of Ramani, inspirational father of Nishani and father-in-law of Mark, amazing Poppa of Joshua and Toby, brother of Dudley and Tilak, brother-in-law of Nalini, Dellani, Nilanthie and Kithsiri, son of the late Dr DCM and Patricia Collure, son-in-law of Sumana and the late Roland Wijewickrema, passed away peacefully in Wellington NZ, 31 May, 2017 surrounded by his loving family
I think it was the late Sunna who gave him that name saying that Colla's father was an ardent cricket fan etc. Sunna was well known for his tall stories.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. Sunna had that dry sense of humour delivered with almost a "Parkinsonian" cryptic look!
DeleteHis name at RPS and RC was Don Bradman Mahendra Collure. His father may have been a cricket fan and Colla was born when Bradman was at his prime. He may have changed his name later because quite often he was teased about it in school.
DeleteSanath
Don Bradman once upon a time and later Don Bertram, Who has seen the Birth Cerificate of DBMC?
ReplyDeleteIt was with much sadness that I read of the passing away of another of our esteemed batch mates.DBM like many of our colleagues was mild mannered and self effacing but affable and graceful.Conversations with him in the common room were always convivial and amusing.The rigours of our curriculum and the tyranny of alphabetical separation prevented a closer friendship.Toy lasting regret I did not or could not make as many warm friendships in medical college as I had at school.
ReplyDeleteLucky's blog and the marvellous reunions have rectified this to some extent;also the incredible internship year.For this I'm very grateful to Lucky,Speedy and the many dedicated organising committeee over the years. In .
Our paths never crossed after graduation but I was happy to hear that he reached the peak professionally and had a rewarding life with a wonderful family in a beautiful country.
May his journey in Samsara be short and may he attain the Supreme bliss of
Nibbana.
My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.
Kumar