Dr P R (Ranji) WIKRAMANAYAKE (17 01. 1932 – 30.07.2024)
From the Sunday Island. 6th October 2024.
Kindly sent by Kumar Gunawardane
A few weeks ago, the Sri Lankan community in Australia lost one its most distinguished sons, Dr P R Wkiramanayake, known as Ranji to his friends, an accomplished and highly regarded endocrinologist. He was 92 years of age and hailed from a distinguished family with its origins in Galle. The ancestry and genealogy of the family is well recorded in the book “Galle as quiet as asleep “(1993) by Norah Roberts.
He soon was interested in the study of diabetes and read a paper at the Plenary Scientific Sessions of the Ceylon college of Physicians, 30 years ago. After serving a Nuffield Fellowship in the UK, he moved to Australia where he worked as Diabetologist at the Prince Edward Hospital.
It was through my close friend and former schoolmate Dr Medduma Kappagoda that I first met Ranji who Kappa brought home one day about 30 years ago, in order to assess my blood sugar. That visit was the foundation on which a strong friendship developed and through which I had the great pleasure of enjoying a dear friendship with his brother Nimal later after I moved to Melbourne.
Ranji lived in the affluent and desirable seaside suburb of Vaucluse and his great hobby was horse racing. His father Guy, a leading Queens Counsel, had owned a string of racehorses in Colombo and was the winner of several trophies when racing was the pastime of “kings and squires”. Ranji too owned at least a couple of thoroughbreds in Sydney whose activities kept him occupied during his leisure.
Ranji married Amara Weerasooria daughter of the late Dr and Mrs SE Weerasooria. Amara was Head Girl of Visakha Vidyalaya and an outstanding netball and tennis player. There combined qualities had to produce extra ordinary children. Their only son Priyan is a popular gastro surgeon in. Bowral, and the two daughters Roshanara a lawyer and Shemara is a highly successful leader in the corporate world of Australia.
It was during the course of last year, and earlier this year that I had close interaction with Ranji. It was during this period that Nimal fell ill and passed away about three months ago. Ranji was highly solicitous of Nimal’s welfare, and chose to convey his medical advice to Nimal through me. Ranji the elder brother was generally of a quiet and unruffled disposition. When Nimal was hospitalized he chose not to disturb him, and instead telephoned me for progress reports. About six weeks ago he rang me from his hospital bed in Prince Edward Hospital where he worked previously, to say in a feeble voice that his heart is failing on him. He left this world a few days later.
Ranji Wikramanayake was of a rare breed, sadly lacking in the old country today. Dedicated to his profession, and guide and guardian to his family, he was honest, hardworking and generous. He was a founder member of the. Ceylon College of Physicians, and a member of the Ceylon Society of Australia for many years until his demise.
A little known aspect of his generosity was his donation of five million rupees in January 2016 to the Ceylon College of Physicians, the interest earned from the donation to be awarded annually to the best research paper on diabetes. Ranji was to personally present the donation, but on their way to Colombo, his wife Amara fell ill and had to return to Australia. He was not a man for excuses and made sure that the gift was made on his behalf by his close friend Tilak de Zoysa. Ranji Wikramanayake certainly earned his rest, may he now rest in peace.
Hugh Karunanayake
It is with deep sadness I received the news of the demise of Dr PR Wickramanayake. I first came to know him when he taught us the basics of medicine while being the Physician in charge of the OPD in Colombo. What impressed us all was his polite kindness as a teacher. Kindness then was in short supply in medical education of the time. He dressed impeccably and spoke in immaculate English. I knew he emigrated to Australia which was indeed a great loss to Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to hear that he has had a long life.
May he find eternal peace.
I too have fond recollections of Dr PRW, chiefly as a great teacher when he was VP OPD. He was as Nihal says,impeccably dressed and as I remember, quite a tall and dignified figure. I knew he emigrated to Australia but this is the first time I got any news about him. He very nobly recognised the important role Sri Lankan education played in his life and his generous donation to set up the Diabetes research award run by the CCP is most laudable and an example to others.
ReplyDeleteDear Mahen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this tribute to our dear teacher.
This was actually published in the Sunday Island, by our Sunna’s brother Manik de Silva. He has always been very generous for medically related matters. I have personally met him only a few times, but he is a gem like Sunna and also their father Walwin de Silva.
Kumar
Kumar, thanls for pointing out that the original appeared in the Island and not the Times as I posted. I have corrected that.
ReplyDelete