Dr Zita Augusta Suranganie Subasinghe. 23.8.1940 to 5.10.2022
A personal eulogy. Mahendra Gonsalkorale.
This is my personal eulogy. I will
not document her professional achievements and her lasting and loving devotion
to her Medical Batch. She was one of the most prolific contributors to our Batch
Blog and was quite passionate about it.
At Zita's 80th Birthday- Southend-on-sea
We can only live if we also accept
that we must die. Whether there is “life” after death is a deep philosophical
question which has interested humans for centuries or more. There are different
views and beliefs, but It remains a mystery and will probably always be.
Zita recognised the inevitability of
death and was also convinced that the story did not end there. But she firmly
believed that all the good things we do to others and to ourselves must be done
while we are alive. Not only did she believe in it, but she also practised it. That is
typical of Zita- she practised what she preached. She was also humble and did
not claim that she knew everything, and she respected different views. Zita and
I had long discussions on morality, the power of prayer, the existence of God
and the need for a life based on moral principles that go beyond self. We
agreed to disagree on some of these but we understood and respected each other’s views and shared a strong belief
in the need for a humanistic and moral approach to life.
Her life story is one of devotion - devotion to family, friends, patients, anyone in need and humanity in general.
She was moved by the trials and tribulations of others and was always willing
not just to step in and help if she could but do it in a sincere and loving way
without expecting any personal rewards.
She was blessed with an enormous
creative talent, as we have seen in her drawings and, most of all, in her poetry.
Poetry always appeals more to the romantic and the dreamer who dares to dream, and such was Zita.
Her courage and determination in her final illness are a lesson to all of us. She went through a lot of difficult treatments and procedures, not for her sake but for the sake of her husband Joe, and her children. She knew how much her life meant to them, and this gave her the courage to persist and endure. I was firmly convinced that she did not fear death and was prepared to leave with dignity, and in fact, she told me so. But to the end, her thoughts were on her loved ones and not her.
She was a truly remarkable person, and
it was my great fortune to have known her. If indeed there is anything after
death, Zita will surely be in the best possible place.
Goodbye, my friend, and as Zita would have said to a close friend, “May God bless you”.
Mahendra.
Please click on this to access her funeral notice and leave any comments. Rohan has already used comments from colleagues.
https://www.funeralguide.co.
Mahen
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing a eulogy for Zita as you were much closer, perhaps, to Zita and Joe than anyone else in our batch in the UK. She was always fun to speak with from the mundane to the scholarly and from deep philosophy to everyday humour. I recall the openness she possessed about religion. What stood out was her modesty, humility and simplicity. I am so pleased I was able to write a tribute for her in the Batch Blog while she was still alive.
As I close my eyes now I can see our first meeting in a Brasserie near Oxford Street in London in 2015 where we reminisced at leisure, 40+ years after those faculty days. Joe and Mahen were there too.
Despite some doubts Zita’s Catholic faith was strong. She has done her best for the family, friends and society.
May her Soul Rest in Peace.
Mahen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this heartfelt eulogy for Zita. My last meeting with her was at our London reunion in 1992 (?) I communicated with Zita mainly via email, comments on the blog, and WhatsApp messages. I was happy that she sent a brief response to my last message saying that she was happy to be home, just a few days before she passed away. She certainly was passionate about the blog. I think you are correct when you say that she kept going mainly for the sake of her family. She also wanted to enjoy her grandchild(ren?) as long as possible. I admired her fortitude and upbeat spirit. May she find Eternal Peace.
As I was scrolling back (after a long absence) I realized that I had not joined our other friends in writing a tribute to Zita. I've been distracted with many other things. (I know Zita will understand!) I don't have much more to add, because her friends have said it all. She will be greatly missed on the blog by her friends everywhere, not just in UK.
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