By Dr. Lakshman Abeyagunawardene
Dr. Christopher Gunapala Uragoda passed away on the night of March 28.
Born on September 22, 1928, he was the third and youngest son of Surveyor N.F. De S. Uragoda and Mrs. Lena Uragoda in Hikkaduwa. The young family soon moved to Kalegana, Galle, to set up residence there. Following his early secondary education at Richmond College and Mahinda College, Galle, he was admitted to Ananda College, Colombo from where he gained admission to the Medical College.
“Chris” to many of his friends and colleagues, and “Ura” to some of his closest friends, he was always Christie aiya to me. That’s what we cousins used to call him. He was my mother’s eldest sister’s son, his mother being many years older than my mother. Christie aiya’s elder brothers were Dr. Hubert Uragoda who was a Medical Administrator in the Health Ministry and Samson Uragoda who was a practising lawyer at the Galle Bar.
When we were residing in Colombo, we used to spend our school holidays at Kalegana and invariably, Hubert aiya and Christie aiya too were there. My family thus got very close to Christie aiya. I have heard it being said that my mother (who was Punchiamma to Christie aiya) was like a mother to him because he was looked after mainly by her before she got married.
Hubert aiya and Christie aiya were in a chummery at Cotta Road at the turn-off to Tickell Road in Borella, when they were medical students in the early ’50s. Both of them had push bicycles and were frequent visitors to Manning Town where we were living at that time. On his graduation, he gifted his old push cycle to my brother and myself. I must have been about 15 years old at the time and I recall that I had my first lessons in cycling on this bike!
My earliest recollection about the beginning of his professional career was that he was posted to Pallebadde, a remote station close to Embilipitiya from where he tried his utmost to get out. He succeeded in his efforts when he was appointed to the Thoracic Unit of the General Hospital where he worked under Mr. A.T.S. Paul and came into close contact with Professor Milroy Paul. It was there that he met his lifelong friend Dr. Malinga Fernando who had been one year junior to him in Medical College.
An incident that remains etched in my own mind was the time he took me to H.W. Cave & Co to buy me my first dissecting set when I got into the University Entrance class at Ananda College. Not only did he gift me with the dissecting set, he also treated me at Perera& Sons, Kollupitiya to cakes and milk shake!
I vividly remember the gathering of close relatives at Violet Cottage where he was residing at the time just before his wedding, and accompanyinghim to Prof. Kottegoda’s residence at Nawala where a simple ceremony took place. As a schoolboy, I had heard from adult conversations that Christie aiya’s bride Padma Rambukpota and Mrs. Kottegoda were sisters.
Christie aiya and Padma akka left for the UK where their eldest son Lalith was born. On their return to Ceylon, he was appointed as the Chest Physician in Kandy and they were blessed with three more children – Dianthi, Neluka and Dishana.
On his transfer to Colombo, he had a long stint as the Physician-in-charge of the Chest Clinic until his retirement in 1974. He was free at last to pursue his other interests like medical research and writing, professional associations, wildlife etc. Details of his achievements are too numerous to mention here, but in my memoirs “From Hikkaduwa to the Carolinas” published in 2010, I wrote, “Dr. C.G. Uragoda was perhaps the most distinguished son of Hikkaduwa of a later generation. Apart from his high academic qualifications (including a Doctor of Science degree) and numerous research papers especially on chest diseases, he has also authored many books on wild life and the history of medicine in Sri Lanka. He is also a past President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Ceylon College of Physicians, Sri Lanka Medical Council and the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka”.
Christie aiya lived to the ripe old age of 91. He was devastated when his wife predeceased him a few years ago. My wife Mangala and I used to visit him frequently at his Nawala residence where he was looked after by his dutiful daughter Dianthi. The other children Lalith and Neluka live in the US with their families while the youngest Dishana is in Australia.
May Christie aiya attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
Thanks, Lucky for this article on Chris Uragoda. I first came across him when he was Chest Physician at the Chest Clinic and subsequently at Prof Kottegoda's residence in Nawala.cAs you probably know, my brother Raj is married to Prof's daughter Indira. Theycreside in Australia and it is at Raj's house in Sydney that I met Chris's son Deeshana for the first time, and what a charming chap is! The other connection is that my father also hails from Hikkaduwa.
ReplyDeleteI recall Chris as a quiet and dignified man,soft spoken, attentive and thoughtful. His many and varied publications include ‘A History of Medicine in Sri Lanka – from the earliest times to 1948’, authoured by him to mark the centenary of the Sri Lanka Medical Association in Colombo in 1987, and republished in 2014’. This book was later translated into Sinhalese. He was bestowed the honour of Deshabandu by the Government of Sri Lanka. He belonged to a rare breed of intellectual "giants" with humility and honesty.
I know all about Raj's relationship to Prof. Kottegoda and about common roots in Hikkaduwa. I think Raj was there when you gave the SLAAS Oration some years ago. Although Dr. Uragoda was my first cousin, he was 13 years my senior.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lucky, that was in 2011 when I gave the Kottegoda Oration on "The ethical challenges for an Ageing Society". Raj visits Sri Lanka quite regularly several times an year.
ReplyDeleteLucky
ReplyDeleteThank you for that heart-felt account on Dr Uragoda. I knew him as the person in charge of the Chest Clinic but cannot recall seeing him. That generation was immensely dedicated, committed and devoted to their work.
Lucky,I knew both Chris and his brother Hubert who was a health administrator quite well. After retirement, Chris worked at the PGIM in the examinations department. As I was the Chairman of our Board of Study for a very long time. I had close dealings with him.
ReplyDeleteI think another sister of his wife was married to Senaka Bibile. Hubert and Win Gomes were married to two sisters.
You are right. Padma akka had a number of sisters, one of whom Married Prof. Bibile. Paediatrician Gomes was closely related to them, but I think it was Dr. Hubert's sister who was married to Hubert's wife Vivienne akka.
DeletePadma akka had many sisters, one of whom married Prof. Bibile. I think it was Hubert aiya's wife's sister who was married to Paediatrician Gomes.
ReplyDeleteLucky,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your heartfelt eulogy on your distinguished cousin.I regret that I never met him,but I have read a number of his books;the best is “Little known wonders of SriLanka “It stimulated me to visit the “Hummanaya” the blowhole in Kudawella on our return trip from Anantara .Sadly it was not active as the sea was calm.
I bought that book in a hole in the wall bookshop in Liberty Plaza;I can recommend this place highly as well as the Sarasavi bookshop in Nugegoda for books on SriLanka.The other book “ Traditional appliances and practises” I bought at Vijitha Yapa which also has a good selection of books on SriLanka.
You will of course be well aware of the other great man from Hikkaduwa one of the pioneers of the nationalist movement Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Thero.He was the founder of the Vdyodaya pirivena later a University.Less well known is that he founded the Gangaramaya temple.
He was a good friend of Governor Chalmers who was also a renowned oriental scholar.Once while travelling in a first class rail compartment ,he was subjected to ridicule by some English men.They were in for a jolt when the Governor came into the Thero’s compartment to chat;he had spotted the Thero as the train he was travelling in the opposite direction had to make an unexpected stop.Like the fine gentleman he was,their apology was accepted graciously.
Lucky, Please accept my sincere sympathy on your loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing to us the achievements of this esteemed physician.
May he Rest In Peace.
This is from my brother Raj. "Chris Bappa – Remembered by Raj G"
ReplyDeleteChris Uragoda’s wife late Padma Uragoda and Dr S R Kottegoda’s wife Damayanthi Kottegoda are sisters. I am married to Dr Kottegoda’s eldest daughter Indira. Hence the relationship
Amongst those relatives (or non-relative) I have met in my life, one person I rate very high and who I am going to miss very much is Chris Bappa. I will miss the chats we used to have over his favourite Beer and my small Whiskey, and the Cadju nuts or the “mixture” we munched. I will miss his cheeky smile whenever I cracked a joke, especially a dirty joke! Chris Bappa as a kid had witnessed the string of cars (maybe 4 or 5!) that had come to Hikkaduwa for the towns school teachers bringing the bride home occasion. He remembered how he and I think his brother and some neighbourhood friend had sat on the parapet wall of his father’s house and watched in awe when this possession passed the house. He said he had not seen so many cars in Hikkaduwa before although the number of cars may have been four! That “iskole mahattaya” was my father and bring his bride home had been a big deal to the village. The many stories and accounts of his countless number of trips to the jungles in Sri Lanka, his work, his books and of course our chats about local and foreign politics kept us going whenever I visited him. His interest in a variety of subjects and his in depth knowledge of the ones closest to his heart were amazing. They were so interesting and far more invigorating than the spirits I was consuming.
I regard Chris Bappa as a person who made full use of his time here on Earth and someone who contributed so much not just to his family, but to a wider world of medicine, Sri Lankan history, wild life, archaeology, culture, and other diverse subjects. If all of us can learn one composite lesson from him, it was his abiding interest in life around him, and not just his life. Myself, and all of us are richer because of him, his simplicity, his humble nature, his love towards his family, and his genuine interest in others around him. We must all learn lessons from wonderful individuals like Chris Bappa. That would be the most fitting tribute to him.
Amongst the books he authored are the following. They show the extent of his interest in all things Sri Lankan
History of medicine in Sri Lanka from the earliest times to 1948
Traditions of Sri Lanka: A Selection with a Scientific Background
Authors of Books on Sri Lanka, 1796-1948: Their Short Biographies in Alphabetical Order
Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka: A History of Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, 1894-1994
Traditional Appliances and Practices: Mostly Recorded Before Replacement by Modern Methods
Sri Lanka Then and Now: A Memoir Depicting Changes During a Lifetime
Camping and Jungle Trips: Visits to National Parks Either Before Or After Declaration of Status
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to reply or comment on an article by the chief of our blog, Lucky. I read his appreciation of Dr C G Uragoda who sadly has expired, appreciating his account which included many personal interactions with the deceased and which spells out what a lovely human being Dr Uragoda was. I did not have the luck to meet this great human being but I have heard of him many times over the years and now you, Lucky, have supplied a lot of the missing details which tell us what a superior human being we are talking of.
It just shows that it is those special human qualities of giving a hand up to a person, helping in need and even just being an exemplary person who the people around him, his patients, his students and in general all who know him or even do not know him well, yes it’s the person’s kind actions and good qualities that count and that make a person live for ever in one’s memory. Thanks Lucky! I truly appreciate your contribution on Dr C G Uragoda, and may he rest in peace and may his family be comforted by the deluge of good wishes they will receive at this time. Zita
Lucky, I meant to write a comment sooner and I apologize for the delay. This was a lovely tribute to your distinguished cousin. My deepest sympathies to you and the rest of Dr. Uragoda's family. I don't think I ever had the pleasure of meeting him, but after reading your tribute I got to know him a little bit. It also made me nostalgic for the old days when we didn't move so faraway from our families, and had plenty fun with cousins, aunts and uncles.
ReplyDeleteMay he Rest in Peace.
Srianee