Old Royalists in the 1962 and 1963 Batches of the Medical Faculties
Sanath P Lamabadusuriya
1962 Batch
1951-J C Fernando, Lakshman Weerasuriya, Bandula Jayasekera, B.T Batuwitage, N Balakumar (Thatte Bala)-Total 5
1952- H N Wickramasinghe, Harsha Samarajeewa, Jimmy Wickramasinghe, M D N K Gunatilleke, J G Wijetunga, M P C Jaimon, Kithsiri Wimalaratne, Russel Paul, C Maheswaran, M G Perera (Peradeniya), H I Perera (Peradeniya)- Total 11
1953- Sidath Jayanetti, Asoka Wijeyekoon, N Vishweshvaran, M H S Cassim, Nalin Nanayakkara, A Satchithanandan, Tilak Dayaratne, N Balasubramaniam, R S Drahaman, W Rajasooriyar,N Samaraweera(Peradeniya),-Total -11
1954- S P Lamabadusuriya, D B M Collure, P Sivananda, K L M T de Silva, S R de Silva, V P H Rajapakse, Chanaka Wijesekera, R Wickramasekeran, Channa Ratnatunga (Peradeniya)-Total 9
1955- Mahendra Gonsalkorale, Raveendra Nadaraja,-Total 2
Grand
Total-38
1963 Batch
1952- Tissa Wickramasuriya Total 1
1953- L A W Sirisena, S D Wickramasinghe, Soma Thiyagaraja, Mohan Wickramasinghe, Kirubalasunderam, Kandaswamypillai, Sam Thambyraja (Peradeniya) - Total 7
1954-S D Arulpragasam, S Parameshwaran, Aruna Rajapakse, S P de Silva, Siva Thiyagaraja, Gaminda Warusavithana, Joe Wjayanayagam, S A Wijesekera, Chandrasekera, C K Pathirana (Peradeniya)-Total 10
1955- Narada Warnasuriya, ,Gamini Hethumuni,M R Mowjood, Nalin Jayatunga, S R K N Sabaratnam (Peradeniya) -Total 5
1956-Ananda Nimalasuriya, Chula Rajapakse C R Gunatilleke- Total 3
Grand Total 26
(Four attempts were allowed for the
university entrance exam at that time and that is why there were people from
the RC 1951,1952,1953,1954 and 1955 groups).
Note by Acting Blog Administrator.
There were a total of 166 in the
batch (including 11 who came from Peradeniya). There were 107 gentlemen and 59 ladies
(including 4 from Peradeniya).
Sanath
ReplyDeleteThat is indeed a very impressive number of medics in just those 2 years. There were so many in the other batches too. Every Royalist must be rightly proud of their school. Many of them have gone on to make a tremendous contribution society in every walk of life in Sri Lanka and abroad. This is a tribute to the school and what it stands for and also to the many teachers for their dedication.
As a non- Royalist I say well done. I just wish Wesley can beat you in cricket more often.
Just a curious occurrence for the record. My brother Raj had as his Classmates the following politicos at Royal: Ranil Wickremasinghe, Dinesh Gunawardena and Anura Bandaranaike! This must surely be a World Record!
ReplyDeleteAs Royalists, we are all very proud of our school. All of us owe a lot to our parents and rightly so, and to our School and the Teachers, which ever school it was.
Mahendra,C R(Bulla) de Silva, former Attorney General or Solicitor General and former RC rugby captain was also in that 1960 group. Ajita Wijesundera,husband of Anula is another member. Senaka Weeraratne who writes a lot about the history of RC quite often is another member.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope that old Anandians, old Thomians, old Trinitians,old Visakhians, old LCites etc. would also contribute.
ND, please write about Old Wesley pals who entered the Medical field.
ReplyDeleteBora, Kumar, what about the Thomians?
ReplyDeleteIHi Sanath
ReplyDeleteThese are the names of the Thomians,after consulting Kumar.I may have missed some names.
1962 Colombo: R.Ratnesar, R.Dambawinna,S.DeAlwis Seniviratne, K.R.W.Gunawardena,M.L.Idroos,M.R.Richards R.Wattegedera,H.Boralessa,R.Sivakumar,C.D.Goonatillake
1961 Colombo N.S.Gurusinghe,U.R.P.Goonatillake,J.N.Gunawardena,R.Fry,G.R.M.Fernando,N.Jayasundera,R.Seniviratne,Nethaniells.
1963 Colombo; C.Simithriaratchi,R.Watson,A.Thenabadu,B.Heenatigala
1961 Peradeniya: R.Corea,P.Dias,H.Wickremaaratchi,
1962 Peradeniya:N.S.Jayasinghe,A.P.Gunatillake,N.R.P.DeSilva
Well done Royal, you Won by an innings. I do not know why but STC during our time could not match Royal,Ananda and Visakha. (Thomians were crashing weddings and exams,just joking). Hardly anyone from our sister school Bishop's College entered Medical college.Trinity college results were similar to STC.
Entrants from Ananda ,yet to come.Lucky will elaborate on that subject.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bora. I shall prepare a second post covering the other schools for which I received data.
ReplyDeleteI am more than impressed by the Royal College motto "disce aut discede" LEARN OR DEPART. No wonder there is such great emphasis on learning and the excellent outcome. My school motto is "Ora et labora" PRAY AND LABOUR. Many of the boys do neither!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Romans had some words of wisdom for the rest of our lives too"
"Timendi causa est nescire."ignorance is the cause of fear." There is no one better than Horace for an ending "Omnes una manet nox."
"ONE NIGHT IS AWAITING US ALL" basically saying we're all mere mortals
Addendum
ReplyDeleteRC 1953 Group- M G A Izmeth studied Medicine in the Patrice Lumumba University in Russia.K A Siripala joined the 1953 group in the 6th Form and entered the Colombo Medical Facuty in 1963. A Karunanayake also joined the 1953 Group in the 6th Form and entered the Peradeniya Medical Faculty in 1963.
1954 Group- John Blaze Jr. (son of Professor John Blaze Sr.) studied Medicine in the UK.
Thanks,Lama about the Addendum.
ReplyDeleteI knew K A Siripala well and wondered how is name was omitted from the original list.Siripala was a lanky and fair skinned chap with whom I had lot of jokes.
Come on!Srianne and Rohini.It is your turn to come out with the list of flowers of LCC(Ladies College Colombo)who blossomed during the 61,62,63,era
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the contributions. I would still love to know the various schools from where our batchmates came to the Faculty as it would indicate the vast range of schools from all parts of the Country who came to the Faculty and formed one big happy Family. The Colombo schools had an advantage those days but I doubt whether this still operates. As far as I know, we had boys from Trinity, St Peters, St Josephs, Wesley, St Benedict's, St Anthony's, Richmond, St Aloysius, Nalanda, and girls from Ladies, Visakha, Bishops, Bridgets,and many more- a truly great collection who gelled together so well. Really proud of all these schools and apologies if I missed any as I am sure I must have!
ReplyDeleteSpeedy,Yes,you have missed several schools in Sinhala dominated areas.
ReplyDeleteDo not forget St Annes Kurunegala(Senarath is a product),Ananda Sastralaya,Kotte,Dharmapala vidyalaya,Pannipitiya(Our Cunningham) and several others entered every year,Dharmasoka,Ambalangoda,De Mazenod,Kandana(Claude),Castle street girls school,Borella,Mahinda college,Galle,Prince of Wales,Moratuwa,Sri Sumangala,Panadura.
Do not forget about the 22 first class schools in Jaffna Peninsula.
There may be a few more schools that have produced a handful from time to time.Things may have changed and products from central colleges financed entirely by the government may be sending significant numbers.
Thanks Sumathi. The list is long and that is pleasing. What a range of schools! When you sdd the North and Esstern provinces, the list would be even longer.
ReplyDeleteJC and I were very close friends ever since we first met in Medical School. Of course, this friendship became stronger when JC fell in love with Sura. We even exchanged places in the lecture theatre, and I was happy to do so. I had known Sura for a much longer period. JC had a habit of presenting an exaggerated version of this story, whenever we got together and had imbibed sufficiently from the glass that cheers! Sura and I had known each other from 1949 when we were neighbours at Manning Town. JC kept adding to the old story but it is a fact that we were playmates playing marbles as 8 year olds.
ReplyDeleteWe kept in touch over the years even when we travelled abroad. It was shocking news to me when one day, Sura telephoned me to tell me that about JC's recent illness. I rushed to see him but alas! I could never visit him again because of my own prolonged illness. Only time will tell whether we'll be able to enjoy a drink together and enjoy his old stories ever again.
Stalin Wettimuny was successful in December 1959 UE exam and entered direct in 1960 along with Preman Wimalaratne, LD Jayawardene, MBS de Silva, ELT de Silva, Sarath Samarasiri and HP Gunawardhane. He fell back later and was in the junior batch (one year senior to us).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lucky.LD Jayawardena was a good friend of mine, whom I knew from Medical school days and subsequent years.I gathered that he had a lonely life before his final departure from this world.
ReplyDeleteLD was a GP in Kolonnawa area. It is said that his wife ill treated him. I used to meet him at the IMPA meetings and dinners.
ReplyDeleteI heard about the Ill treatment he suffered from a reliable source, after his demise.He tried to get the MOH post ,Ambalangoda, after him .He took me to see LC de Silva,local MP, with no avail.I visited his Practice at Tissa, when I was MOH,Hambantota.I communicated from UK, later on, but lost contact altogether.He was friend in deed.
ReplyDeleteOne more addition;RC 1955 Group and MC 1963 Group, V Thuraisingham, who joined RC in the 6th Form and thereby joined those in the 1955 Group.
ReplyDeleteTwo more names;
ReplyDeleteH S P Peiris RC 1953 Group and MC 1963 Group
Dushy Nadaraja RC 1954 Group and MC 1964 Group