STOP PRESS
Lakshman Abeyagunawardene passes away
Mahendra "Speedy" Gonsalkorale
I just received the sad news from Pram in this text message:-
"Dear friends, our dearly beloved colleague Lucky Abeygunawardene passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family
His remains will lie at the Respect Home tomorrow from 6.00pm to 9.00pm & again from the morning of the 16th December. Cremation at the General Cemetery Kanatte at 10.30am
May his soul rest in peace".
I shall publish more details and some recollections from friends. Please send me anything about Lucky you want to be included.
The photo was taken at Lucky's house when I met him in March this year.
Lucky was admitted as a Fellow of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka at the Inauguration of its Annual Scientific Sessions on Thursday, 20th September 2012, in recognition of services rendered to Public Health/Community Medicine.
This citation, read by Dr. Santhushya Fernando, is a fitting initial tribute to a man who achieved so much but always remained humble. He started the Blog and valued friendship and lasting memories of our time together as batch mates. I shall miss him, and his memory shall always live deep within me.
Tributes to Lucky
(1) This was posted in the Blog on May 2nd, 2022.
Lakshman Dias Abeygunawardene – Community Physician par
excellence
By Dr Nihal D Amerasekera
“Lakshman is a quiet man, yet gregarious, always charming. He is well known for his intense loyalty to his friends. His anecdotes, wonderful sense of humour and that ‘wicked’ grin are an integral part his charm. I remember from long ago his courtesy and kind ways which he has carried through all his life. I am greatly privileged to have met him in my life’s journey.”
Lakshman (L.N.D) Abeygunawardene had his education at Ananda
College Colombo.
I first met Lakshman in the “Block” when we were freshers at
the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo in 1962. Then we both lived in Nugegoda.
There were times he gave me a lift to the faculty in his Honda 50 motor-cycle.
Our surnames being at the beginning of the alphabet we sat near to each other
at lectures, walked the long corridors of the General Hospital together and
worked in the same wards. Friendship blossomed as we did most of the demanding
tasks together for the full five years.
The examinations in the faculty were many and each one of
them challenging in the extreme. Therewas a need to commit vast amounts of
facts to memory. Lakshman had a most remarkable memory and the ability to
recall in such great detail. He spent less time studying than many of my mates
in the year but sailed through the years with ease. On many occasions, he gave
me the impression Lakshman merely wanted to pass the examinations with minimum
effort while enjoying student life. I have no doubt that he could have been in
the top tier in the order of merit if he just made the effort. Lakshman was
intelligent and had the wonderful ability to think fast and think rationally
while on his feet. This was a great gift which he used to good effect in later
life and career.
Lakshman loved faculty life and enjoyed it to the full, more
than most. He was a fine billiards player. Taking part in the faculty
competitions he fared very well indeed becoming one of the top players. Carrom
was his forte. Lakshman was one of the best players of the game and won the
faculty tournament a couple of times. He was a great follower of the University
cricket team and was ever present at the Sara Trophy games lending his support.
Watching Rugby was another of his passions and never missed an important club
game. He was always there for the Colours Night and Block Night dances at the
University’s King George’s Hall, jiving the night away. Ever-present at the
evening booze-ups in the faculty common room, Lakshman was there to take me
home after the event. Although he enjoyed a drink Lakshman never exceeded the
sensible limits he set for himself. He never smoked. With him good sense always
prevailed.
I remember he was always polite and had the great ability to
be calm, discreet and diplomatic. He had the skill to hide his anger so very
well. Beneath his gentle demeanour, Lakshman has a steely core. He is
intelligent and astute and played his cards close to his chest. Lakshman was
never in a hurry to make important decisions which he did after careful
thought. This stood him in good stead throughout his career and in his life.
I recall with nostalgia a trip we made with Sanath de Tissera, Bernard Randeniya and Lakshman Jayasinghe (who joined us on the spur of the moment, at the Fort Railway Station). We were off on a trip to Kandy. Sanath arranged for us to stay in a house on a hill in Watapuluwa, overlooking the Mahaweli river. We pounded the streets of Kandy during the day and enjoyed a chat and a drink in the evenings by the river. This was a memorable holiday which brought us closer together.
After the final year examination came the great dispersal. We all went our separate ways.
Following his Internship at Colombo South General Hospital,
he worked in a clinical field for two years. He then set his eyes on a career
in public health. Lakshman began his journey into public health as a Medical
Officer of Health at Matara in 1970. That was also a momentous year for
Lakshman when he married Mangala. I made
an official trip to Matara while working at the Central Blood Bank in
Colombo. It brought me great joy to meet
my old pal again. I was entertained most lavishly by Lakshman and Mangala in a
grand and elegant house at Brown’s Hill in Matara.
Remaining in the Public Health Services, he joined the
Health Education Bureau (HEB) of the Ministry of Health. In March 1974, Lakshman was awarded a World
Health Organization (WHO) Fellowship and proceeded to the USA. Specialising in
public health and health education, in 1975, he obtained the Master’s degree in
Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Berkeley, USA. On his
return to Sri Lanka, Lakshman pursued his keen interest in serving the HEB as a
Health Education Specialist. In 1986, he received his certification as a
consultant in community medicine by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine
(PGIM). Lakshman was conferred the prestigious Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree
in community medicine by the University of Colombo.
Having served the Government of Sri Lanka diligently for 23
years he took early retirement in 1990 and joined the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF). He has also served the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the
Commonwealth Secretariat of London working on consultant assignments in
Indonesia and Malaysia. In 1998, he took early retirement from UNICEF. Lakshman then emigrated to the United States
and served the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control as
a Health Education Specialist for a further period of ten years. He finally
retired in December 2008 as a Consultant Community Physician in the USA.
Although South Carolina left a strong impression on Lakshman he had a deep
longing to return home to his roots.
For many years I lost contact with Lakshman. Marriage,
careers and caring for our children took precedence. On a brief visit home in
1998, I met up with Lakshman and the irrepressible J.C Fernando at the
Singhalese Sports Club which was a memorable event. We kept the spirit alive
bringing back a bit of that old faculty magic of long ago.
Lakshman initiated a Weblog (now also called a Blog),
specifically for the Colombo Medical Faculty entrants of 1962. The creation
helped to shape the way we communicate as a year group and became a forum for
conveying our skills, news, humour and friendship. This became an instant hit
with the batch and has been a friendly platform, riding the ether since 2011.
He had a pragmatic approach to its rules. Not wanting it to be an online
battleground, he discouraged and virtually excluded politics. As the manager of
the Blog he maintained its dignity and remained fair and impartial. His
willingness to listen to the feedback improved the Blog enormously. After many
years in the hot seat he has now passed on the onerous task of managing the
Blog to Mahendra Gonsalkorale.
On retirement Lakshman and Mangala returned to Sri Lanka and
made their home in Battaramulla. They now maintain a splendid house with a
delightful garden in the posh part of town. An utterly charming couple, they
became well known for their friendship and lavish hospitality. By his relaxed
style and affable manner, he made wonderful company. Their generosity was
extended to the many expatriate medics who returned home on their winter
getaway.
I recall Lakshman’s father was a regular contributor to the national newspapers. Lakshman continued this tradition by contributing articles of value to the daily papers mostly on topics in his field of expertise in healthcare. He has dipped deep into the archives of his memory to write a most readable, extensive and far-reaching memoir.
I never joined in the many Batch reunions in Sri Lanka and
never had the opportunity to meet Lakshman. He made a brief trip to the UK.
Although I hoped very much we could meet but that was not to be. I was in Sri
Lanka in 2012 and we were able to enjoy a meal together at the plush Indian
restaurant at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo. In the relaxed ambience of its
dining hall we retraced our time together, reminisced and remembered mutual
friends. We did make up much for those lost years.
Lakshman is a quiet man, yet gregarious, always charming. He is well known for his intense loyalty to his friends. His anecdotes, wonderful sense of humour and that ‘wicked’ grin are an integral part his charm. I remember from long ago his courtesy and kind ways which he has carried through all his life. I am greatly privileged to have met him in my life’s journey. Lakshman and Mangala have a son and daughter and enjoy the love and affection of three grandchildren.
I wish them a long and happy retirement.
(2) From Pramilla Senanayake
Lucky was a dear friend and colleague. He really enjoyed keeping in touch with his "batch mates" Hence the birth of the blog. Lucky contributed frequently to the blog. Whenever overseas colleagues visited SL, Lucky & Mangala played hosts to them and produced some super lunches and dinners. Lucky & Mangala were a very devoted couple. She kept no stone unturned to ensure that Lucky got the best medical treatment and the best care at home.
I was frequently in touch with Mangala and got regular updates on Lucky's health & progress. I was delighted when Mangala joined us at the last "Forever 62 " get-together which was a high T at the Ahasa restaurant on the 27th floor of the new Ratnadipa Hotel.
Lucky loved Cricket, and so did I. We had many cricket-related discussions when time permitted
He was very close to his two children. Always looking forward to the visits of their daughter from the USA. His grandkids meant a lot to him, and he looked forward eagerly to their visits.
I am so pleased that Speedy will continue keeping the blog alive.
May Lucky's soul rest in peace.
(3) Mahendra "Speedy" Gonsalkorale (He always called me Speedy!)
Lucky was a true friend and a most sincere person. He felt very strongly about his duty to serve his Motherland, and I salute him for this. But he was magnanimous enough to recognise that returning to live and serve in Sri Lanka, as honourable as it is, is not the only way to do this.
I always made it a point to visit Lucky and Mangala when I visit Sri Lanka and the genuine welcome and expression of their pleasure to see me was very special.
This photo was taken early this year when Srianee, too, was visiting. The ever-generous and wonderful Pram was kind enough to pick me up from Nawala, take me there and drop me back.
My heartfelt condolences go to Mangala and their children.
I am proud of the fact that I was able to assist in adding many innovations to the blog from the early days, which he readily accepted. When he handed the reins to me, I was honoured. I am even more determined to maintain the blog, Lucky's Brainchild. May he, as a devout Buddhist, attain his ultimate goal of Nibbana
