Dr V P H Rajapakse passes away
Sad news on the passing away of another Batch Colleague.
Suri sent this message:-
The demise of a legend on world Anesthesia day.
His remains will be brought to his daughter Prof Thilini Rajapakse's home, opposite of Dodanwela deaf and blind school, 242/A/1,Dodanwala rd, Kandy. The Funeral will take place tomorrow (17.10.2022) at 3.30 pm at Mahaiyawa.
Channa Ratnatunga informed me about the demise of VPH . I conveyed my sympathies to his daughter via email, gemba471@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI knew VPH as Preethi, a relative whom I met at family events long before we became batch mates. When transferred to Colombo I was glad to find myself allotted the seating next to him at lectures as his was a familiar face. Later in life, with our families taking up permanent residency in Kandy, we interacted more closely. Both he and his wife Kusum joined our local social service society which managed a Home for disadvantaged children sent by the state. Preethi and his wife took up active roles in society management. His input as the Treasurer for several years was invaluable. Being a person of high integrity he upheld accountability and helped sustain the credibility of the society. He was active in society matters and his demise was totally unexpected.
ReplyDeletePreethi was a quiet person. But he held his own views and opinions steadfast and would not be swayed by any arguments. At committee meetings on matters under discussion he always had a different say from that of the majority. At times his unorthodox views were neither rational nor feasible which led to much amusement. We will miss him.
May he attain nibbana
Manel
It is with great sadness I received the news of the loss of VPH Rajapaksa from our midst. I remember the tall quiet guy with black rimmed glasses who was a permanent fixture in the Common Room during those lunch breaks and between lectures. Preethi is such an appropriate name for a thorough gentleman. He was a gentle soul who spoke no evil and never seem to complain unlike the rest of us. We played table tennis together and remained good friends. VPH moved around chatting in the Common Room.
ReplyDeleteVPH was a great friend of W. Rajasooriar, our batchmate. When Raj passed away in January 2015 VPH wrote on the blog that they were the same height and were called Thompson and Thomson, from that popular comic series Tin Tin.
He had a strong sense of right and wrong and about the due process for honesty and integrity. He wrote to the Sri Lankan newspapers that the Government should maintain proper verifiable accounts for the money sent by expatriates living abroad, during the height of the current political and economic crisis. I envisage, during his long and distinguished years in the health service, VPH being never afraid to ask difficult questions of those in authority, he made a unique and expert contribution and has probably saved many lives in so doing.
Sadly our paths never crossed since we said our last goodbyes at the Faculty lobby in mid 1967. But I remember VPH with great admiration and affection.
May he attain the Ultimate Bliss of Nirvana.
I knew VPH for a long time. He was an year senior to me at Royal andI knew his brother Chula, now in Wellington,NZ much better. He was what I would call a "serious" guy with high principles. He has his own unique sense of humour. I last met him in 2015 at the Hikkaduwa Reunion. I admire him mostly for serving Sri Lanka so faithfully and loyally throughout his medical career. Another thing about him which I recall for no particuar reason is that he developed hay fever for the first time in his life while he was in UK. In summary, a faithful son of Mother Lanka, a proud husband and father who will be sotrely missed.
ReplyDeleteI was very sad to hear that Preethie had passed away.
ReplyDeleteI remember him very well in medical school and occasionally chatted with him in the CTB Bus while returning home from the faculty. We exchanged Royal Thomian banter and discussed faculty gossip, sports etc.
I fully agree with Nihal that he was a quiet, gentle soul. He never spoke ill of anyone.
Preethi was a member of the Digana Golf Club and I last met him four years ago in the Club Dressing Room. I had just completed a round and he was getting ready to start one. We planned to play a round of golf when I next visited Kandy however this never materialized because of the pandemic.
May his soul rest in peace.
COMMENTS FORM THE WHATSAPP GROUP
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear the sad news .Hope his soul RIP.
Mahes Nadarajah
So sorry to hear that “Pakse” passed away. I last saw him at our Negombo reunion. He was a very lovely person.
Srianee Dias
Very sorry to hear another sad news
Shanthi Nalliah
Sorry to hear the sad news
Edwis
I wish to add a note on VPH’s family here.
ReplyDeletePreethi left behind his wife Kusum and two talented daughters. The elder daughter Thilini is the Chair Professor in Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya. Possibly one of the youngest to hold a chair in the state university system in Sri Lanka while the younger Chiranthi, is multi-talented being a qualified dental surgeon who changed career to law and journalism to pursue her passion. Chiranthi is an acclaimed English writer whose delightful short story book “Names and Numbers” was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize in 2017.
(Gratiaen Prize –is the prestigious literary award in Sri Lanka presented by Michael Ondaatji for creative writing in English by Sri Lankan authors)
Their contact email is as follows: Thilini- gemba471@gmail.com; Chiranthi-cnrajapakse@gmail.com
Manel
Manel, Thank you for filling us in on "Pakse's" family. I didn't know him well, but from the little contact I had with him I felt that he was a sweet, gentle person. I know that you came down with him and Kusum for some of our gatherings in Colombo. I am glad that those who knew him better wrote tributes here. I guess he was one of those "strong, serious, silent" types! I will look out for his daughter's book of short stories when I am in Colombo.
Delete