Dr P R Wickramanayake (17.01.1932 - 30.07.2024)

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.

The elder son of E.G. Wikramanayake, Queens Counsel, Ranji was born into the lap of luxury. Like his father before him, Ranji attended St Thomas College, Mount Lavinia from where he entered the Ceylon Medical School, and from where he graduated, and proceeded to the UK for Post graduate work. On his return from London with the MRCP he was appointed consultant physician at the Out Patients Department of the General Hospital, Colombo.

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

Cyril Ernest's wife Indrani passes away.

 Cyril Ernest's wife Indrani passes away.

As most of you know by now, Cyril's lovely wife, Indrani, passed away recently.

I have met her in my travels to the US and also at Reunions in Sri Lanka. She was always most welcoming and friendly with her engaging personality.

They have two daughters, Cheryl and Melanie.

Let us all join in conveying our condolences to Cyril and family. 

May she Rest in Peace.

Dr. Chris Uragoda - Eminent physician whose interests were wide and varied

 By Dr. Lakshman Abeyagunawardene


Dr. Christopher Gunapala Uragoda passed away on the night of March 28.

Born on September 22, 1928, he was the third and youngest son of Surveyor N.F. De S. Uragoda and Mrs. Lena Uragoda in Hikkaduwa.  The young family soon moved to Kalegana, Galle, to set up residence there. Following his early secondary education at Richmond College and Mahinda College, Galle, he was admitted to Ananda College, Colombo from where he gained admission to the Medical College.

“Chris” to many of his friends and colleagues, and “Ura” to some of his closest friends, he was always Christie aiya to me. That’s what we cousins used to call him. He was my mother’s eldest sister’s son, his mother being many years older than my mother. Christie aiya’s elder brothers were Dr. Hubert Uragoda who was a Medical Administrator in the Health Ministry and Samson Uragoda who was a practising lawyer at the Galle Bar.

When we were residing in Colombo, we used to spend our school holidays at Kalegana and invariably, Hubert aiya and Christie aiya too were there. My family thus got very close to Christie aiya. I have heard it being said that my mother (who was Punchiamma to Christie aiya) was like a mother to him because he was looked after mainly by her before she got married.

Hubert aiya and Christie aiya were in a chummery at Cotta Road at the turn-off to Tickell Road in Borella, when they were medical students in the early ’50s. Both of them had push bicycles and were frequent visitors to Manning Town where we were living at that time. On his graduation, he gifted his old push cycle to my brother and myself. I must have been about 15 years old at the time and I recall that I had my first lessons in cycling on this bike!

My earliest recollection about the beginning of his professional career was that he was posted to Pallebadde, a remote station close to Embilipitiya from where he tried his utmost to get out. He succeeded in his efforts when he was appointed to the Thoracic Unit of the General Hospital where he worked under Mr. A.T.S. Paul and came into close contact with Professor Milroy Paul. It was there that he met his lifelong friend Dr. Malinga Fernando who had been one year junior to him in Medical College.

An incident that remains etched in my own mind was the time he took me to H.W. Cave & Co to buy me my first dissecting set when I got into the University Entrance class at Ananda College. Not only did he gift me with the dissecting set, he also treated me at Perera& Sons, Kollupitiya to cakes and milk shake!

I vividly remember the gathering of close relatives at Violet Cottage where he was residing at the time just before his wedding, and accompanyinghim to Prof. Kottegoda’s residence at Nawala where a simple ceremony took place. As a schoolboy, I had heard from adult conversations that Christie aiya’s bride Padma Rambukpota and Mrs. Kottegoda were sisters.

Christie aiya and Padma akka left for the UK where their eldest son Lalith was born. On their return to Ceylon, he was appointed as the Chest Physician in Kandy and they were blessed with three more children – Dianthi, Neluka and Dishana.

On his transfer to Colombo, he had a long stint as the Physician-in-charge of the Chest Clinic until his retirement in 1974. He was free at last to pursue his other interests like medical research and writing, professional associations, wildlife etc. Details of his achievements are too numerous to mention here, but in my memoirs “From Hikkaduwa to the Carolinas” published in 2010, I wrote, “Dr. C.G. Uragoda was perhaps the most distinguished son of Hikkaduwa of a later generation. Apart from his high academic qualifications (including a Doctor of Science degree) and numerous research papers especially on chest diseases, he has also authored many books on wild life and the history of medicine in Sri Lanka. He is also a past President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Ceylon College of Physicians, Sri Lanka Medical Council and the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka”.

Christie aiya lived to the ripe old age of 91. He was devastated when his wife predeceased him a few years ago.  My wife Mangala and I used to visit him frequently at his Nawala residence where he was looked after by his dutiful daughter Dianthi. The other children Lalith and Neluka live in the US with their families while the youngest Dishana is in Australia.

May Christie aiya attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.

---

Dr. Ananda Soysa has passed away

CoMSAA 2011	17:19 (2 hours ago)
.

Dear Alumni,

It is with much sadness that we announce the demise of Deshabandu Dr. Ananda Soysa, Retired ENT Surgeon, and beloved husband of Emeritus Professor Priyani Soysa, at the age of Ninety Eight, on 12^th October 2019.

The remains are kept at AF Raymond Parlour for viewing from today (13^th) 1pm.

Cremation will be on 14^th October, 5 pm at the General Cemetery, Borella.

May he attain the supreme bliss of nibbana!

Dr Sumithra Tissera

Co Secretary CoMSAA    

Colombo Medical School Alumni Association

Faculty of Medicine
University of Colombo
Sri Lanka

comsaa2011@gmail.com

www.comsaa.org

Prof. Carlo Fonseka

One of our remaining teachers from Medical College has passed away. The only living teacher now is Prof. Priyani Soysa.

Prof. Carlo Fonseka passes away at age 86

September 2, 2019   01:45

Renowned physician and academic, Professor Carlo Fonseka has passed away, today (02), at the age of 86 years, family sources told Ada Derana.

Professor Carlo Fonseka was a former dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and a former president of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).

Being a political activist, Professor Fonseka was a prominent member of the Trotskyist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP). He was a member of the party’s central committee and politburo and lead its branch in Kotte.

He was a vocal critic of private medical education and campaigned against the NCMC in the early 1980s.

Fonseka was also a lyricist and composer and has produced a number of albums including Carlochita Gee (1992) and Raththaran Duwe (2006).

Browsing through the Sunday newspapers, I found two well written articles by two members of our batch. One is by Chanaka Wijesekara and the other by Nihal Amerasekera whose latest article was on "Writing is on the wall". I share today with blog viewers an Appreciation by Chanaka about our former teacher Dr. Rienzie Peiris. It will be followed by ND's article.

DR RIENZIE PEIRIS – Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr Rienzie Peiris , Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, passed away on December 12, 2018.

An Appreciation

December 22, 2018, 6:20 pm 

My association with Rienzie goes back to January 1972 when I assumed duties as Senior House Officer, in his unit at the General Hospital, Colombo. At that time, Rienzie was the Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. He was at the peak of his professional life. As an Orthopaedic Surgeon, he had no equal and, his reputation had spread island wide. His clinical judgment was flawless; his ability to decide when to undertake surgical treatment was near perfect. The timing of surgical treatment was of paramount importance in the management of children suffering from the effects of poliomyelitis, a very common problem at that time in Sri Lanka. He was a surgeon with exceptional skill. On many occasions he would modify an established surgical procedure to suit the needs of a particular patient. In the operating theatre he was meticulous; he was neat and showed an abundance of natural flair. On numerous occasions he indicated to his junior staff that a surgical operation should not only be effective, it must in addition be pleasing to the eye of an observer.

Rienzie Peiris was an outstanding teacher, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His assessment of patients was based mainly on deductions arrived at from first principles, an attribute he acquired during his overseas training at the Mecca of Orthopaedic Surgery in Liverpool, UK. He combined his vast experience, with clarity of thought and presented Orthopaedics in an uncomplicated format to the student. He did lucidly describe the mechanics of fracture treatment based on general principles. As a result, his unit at the General Hospital in Colombo was much sought after by surgeons in training. There are scores of Sri Lankan Surgeons worldwide who have trained under Dr Rienzie Peiris. These numbers alone stand testimony to his skill as a teacher.

As a colleague, he commanded enormous respect from both senior and junior members of the profession. He did not hesitate to share his expertise with his juniors. Rienzie never stopped learning. He did not sit back and be complacent. He kept abreast of the current trends in the specialty, carefully reading through the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (which was the only recognized journal in Orthopaedic Surgery at that time). He was easily accessible, and was always ready to offer advice to sort out a difficult problem in Orthopaedics.

Another facet to Rienzie’s life was his leadership qualities. As President of the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) he exhibited this quality in abundance. During his tenure as leader of the AMS he gained many privileges for the profession. None obtained by the threat of trade union action, but by repeated negotiations and effective lobbying. Rienzie’s finest hour as President of the AMS would undoubtedly be, when after a prolonged period of negotiations he succeeded in obtaining the right for consultants in the government sector to engage in private practice. All medical specialists in government hospitals today practicing their specialty in the private sector should be eternally grateful to him.

After retirement, he continued to practice as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in the private sector. A while later he took on an entirely different role. At the request of the then President of the country Mr J.R. Jayewardene, Rienzie took to administration. He was appointed as the first Chairman of the newly established Sri Jayawardene Hospital in Kotte. His influence on the board did much to guide the hospital during its early years, enabling it to achieve the current status as a centre of excellence.

Rienzie was the ultimate family man. He loved and protected his family unequivocally and selflessly. I have no doubt that his wife Celia, daughters Dinali and Sharmini and the other members of the immediate family will miss him.

Rienzie Peiris stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries. He was one in a generation, the likes of whom we will rarely see again. He was indeed a remarkable person.

"His life was gentle, and the elements

so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world.

This was a man!"

Chanaka Wijesekera

Dr. Sunil Fernando An appreciation by Kumar Gunawardene

A perfect gentleman and a distinguished professional Dr Sunil Nihal Fernando (Sn)

December 15, 2018, 6:45 pm 

I was deeply saddened by the demise recently of my classmate and good friend SN. We had been close at STC Mt Lavinia and renewed our friendship during my periodic visits to SriLanka. His passing away in October 2018 climaxed my own "annus horribilis"

Andrew Marvell’s immortal words , slightly modified could have been written for SN.

‘He did nothing common or mean upon his memorable life ; a life of academic brilliance and professional excellence- but most importantly a life of pure and simple goodness.

We first met in the hallowed classrooms of the ‘school by the sea’. He had moved from the Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, and joined us in the College Form (GCE advanced level). Having been at STC from the second standard, I had my own circle of friends , but we bonded immediately; he struck a chord with his quiet but friendly demeanour and charming smile.

At Prince of Wales he epitomized the truism that the child is the father of the man; he was first in every class and achieved double promotions and also a first division in the GCE ordinary level.

An outstanding student at STC too he won prizes for chemistry, botany and zoology and was awarded the coveted Warden Stone memorial scholarship in recognition of his general performance at school. He also excelled in Athletics and Cadetting and represented his alma mater in both.

SN was altruistic to his mates. While  some us either dozed in the class  lulled by the gentle sea breezes or were mesmerized by the ambidextrous artistry or booming tones of our zoology teacher, Brooke D’ Silva, he would painstakingly  take down notes. These he would share with us later. Always a loyal Thomian, he would attend ,old boys’ functions and revel in the company of his contemporaries. One of his cherished possessions was a photograph of him with four other Thomians who were Presidents of their respective professional Colleges in the same year; ( Drs D.N.Athukorale, L.R.Amarasekare, Ranjan Fernando and Dayasiri Fernando); perhaps an unparalleled attainment .It was dubbed the year of the Thomians. This picture was prominently displayed in his consulting room.

Five of our class got the nod for the viva voce examination for entry to medical school. He was undoubtedly the best amongst this motley lot. But for some unknown reason, he was offered dentistry. Deeply disappointed he was determined to sit the University entrance examination again. Our sagacious physics teacher, Mr S.J.Anandanayagam, however persuaded him otherwise. What an astute decision it was. For SN had a meteoric rise to the top of his profession.

He quickly made a mark in dental school amongst teachers and students, and qualified BDS from the University of Peradeniya in 1966. Fellowship was obtained in 1972.Subsequently important experience was gained, as a prelude to an illustrious career, in august London institutions, including St Bartholomew’s,  Guys and  the Institute of Dental Surgery of the University of London and later at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Amongst his prestigious mentors was Professor R.A.Cawson of the Guy’s hospital.

Returning to Sri Lanka he served as a consultant at the General Hospitals of Ratnapura, Kandy, Galle, Colombo South and finally the National Hospital Colombo.

In addition to his onerous duties he was a Wing Commander (Volunteer) of the SL Air Force and a medical board panel member of the SriLankan Airlines.

I’m personally aware that he was held in high esteem by his peers, juniors and other staff. I was an indirect beneficiary of this whenever he referred me to a colleague. I was treated with utmost courtesy and care. He would always preface his referral letters with "Kumar is a good friend of mine since our days at the school by the sea."

His passions outside of work were first and foremost the family, the church, advancement of dentistry in Sri Lanka and postgraduate dental education.

His wife of 48 years, Malkanthi, was a great source of strength to him in all matters, but particularly in fulfilling his professional commitments. She was abundantly living proof of the adage that behind every successful man is a wise and accomplished wife. She was of great help to me in writing this.

They were blessed with two affectionate daughters, Shehani and Shanika, and two equally affectionate sons in law, Rohantha Seneviratne and Malik de Soysa. In fact they were always referred to as sons. Malik, a cardio-thoracic surgeon supervised the management of SN’s final illness.

His greatest delight in later years was his grandchildren Ranukshi Sarita and the two children of Shanika and Malik. I have seen his face light up when any of them wandered into the consulting room. His features would be an amalgam of love, joy and pride. Their paintings adorned the walls of his office conspicuously.

Malkanthi told me that she would often notice lights burning in his office well into the night. Being the dutiful spouse she was, she would go to check whether he had fallen asleep. He was wide awake perusing the children’s books and home work to teach them the next day.

A deeply religious man he was a warden in his church, St Paul’s Milagiriya and would lead the services on a roster basis.

His endeavours in furthering the cause of excellence in dentistry are almost too numerous to mention but nevertheless must be recorded.

In the Sri Lanka Dental Association he was the chair at its 16th anniversary. This coincided with the first ever South Asian Dental Congress of which he presided over the organizing committee. He was also the chair of the annual scientific sessions of the SLDA 1991-1993 and also in 1996 and 1997. In recognition of this he was awarded a Honorary Fellowship of the International College of Continuing Dental Education.

He was, along with Dr Asoka Ratnayake, the first joint secretary of the college of dentistry and stomatology from 1994 to 1996; and subsequently the president 1998 to 1999.

Along with Professor M.T.M. Jiffrey he organized the first officially recognized course in basic sciences for the part one masters course (MS) in dental surgery.

In the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine  he was a member of the board of study ,

in dental surgery from its inception up to the late 1990s.

He was an examiner for the MS parts one and two for several years and also an external examiner for the BDS for a number of years.

In the Sri Lankan Association of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dentistry, he was a member of the board of governors from its inception in 2004 and actively participated in its annual scientific sessions.

A most notable characteristic of SN was his generosity to his friends and I’m sure many others. I would visit him for professional services, each time I returned. He was always very caring and scrupulous but would refuse to accept a fee. I had to repeat to him that I too was in private practice and knew how heavy the overheads were.

Finally I would leave cash on his desk and run out of the room before he had a chance to catch me. Our antics were a great source of amusement to his loyal and longstanding nurse assistant Indrani. Like the chief, she  was very kind to me and would somehow get an appointment convenient to me.

SN was an exceptional human being

"A good  heart has stopped beating; a good soul has ascended to heaven.

May he Rest In Peace.

May the Good Earth lie softly on him"

Kumar Gunawardane

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=196114

Dr Boyd Tilak Batuwitage

OBITUARY

From 10/01/1940

To 09/12/2018

Boyd, better known as “Batu” to his friends and “Chula” to his family, was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka where he spent his formative years living in Park Avenue near Campbell Park, Borella. He was the youngest of six brothers and identical twin to Brian Batuwitage. Boyd was schooled at Royal College where he was a keen cricketer. He went on to study medicine at Colombo Medical School in 1962, graduating with the batch of 1967. Soon after graduating he joined his brother, the late Dr Tissa Batuwitage, in Matale as a general practitioner. In 1972, he married Geetha Shriyani Wickramaratchi in Kandy and continued to work in Matale before moving to the United Kingdom in the mid seventies. He undertook further training in geriatrics and psychiatry in the UK before turning to his true passion of general practice. He was appointed  Principal General Practitioner at the Treharris Primary Care Health Centre in South Wales and served the local community for over 20 years. Boyd had three children, Surakshi, Larukshi and Thushila who went on to have respective careers in psychology, finance and medicine (anaesthesia). With his support, his wife Shriyani completed postgraduate qualifications, to become a ceramic artist and teacher. 

Boyd enjoyed watching cricket and snooker. He was a great fan of David Attenborough, watching his programmes and collecting his books. He was an avid reader and enjoyed travelling, which he did for many years with his wife before his illness progressed. He was a committed Buddhist and undertook several pilgrimages to Buddhist sites around the world. Boyd was keen to help those in need, he supported several charities and sponsored young children from deprived parts of Sri Lanka, enabling them to have the opportunity to attend university. He retired from general practice and moved to Guildford in 2012 where he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, Aishwari, Tejini, Kashika and Aanya. 

Boyd peacefully passed away from Alzheimer’s Dementia surrounded by his loving family on the 9th of December 2018. Boyd will be deeply missed. He was a gentle, kind and private man, whose patience and compassion was greatly respected amongst his family and close friends.

Sent by his loving son with this message:

I’ve also attached details of the date of the funeral service and some pictures of my father.

Many thanks 

Dr Bisanth Thushila Batuwitage

Dr Bisanth Batuwitage

Consultant Anaesthetist

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Tel: +44 (0)7985196994

Grandchildren

The family 

Twins (Batu on the left)

DR. Darrel Weinman's Obituary

Many viewers had not known that our beloved teacher and former Neurosurgeon of the GHC Dr. Darrel Weinman had passed away recently. For their benefit, I have published below an Appreciation by another teacher - Dr. PR Wikramanayake who was VP/OPD, GHC when we were medical students in the 1960s. This article was published in the three main Sunday newspapers in Sri Lanka namely the Sunday Times, The Island and the Sunday Observer.

Note by the Blog Administrator: Regarding ND's comment under Speedy's article 
("A lasting recollection from my time in the Faculty") as mentioned in Dr. PRW's  Appreciation, he had resigned from his post in the GHC and left the country in 1970 and had first gone to UK to take up a position there (and not to Australia to which country he had migrated later).

Nihal AmerasekeraNovember 12, 2018 at 6:06 PM

"PRW too left our shores to serve as a physician in Sydney. He had his own personal reasons for leaving SL just like many of us who now live in ‘exile’. Life’s journey is never a straight road it’s many twists and turns take us in paths beyond our wildest dreams".

Appreciations

View(s): 272

Wonderful man and brilliant Neurosurgeon

Dr. Darrel Felix Weinman

Darrel Weinman was born on November 20, 1929.

He attended St. Peter’s College Colombo where he was a brilliant student and excelled at sport. He was the school cricket captain. A few years ago when a mutual friend, Dr. Tony Don Michael passed away, and I informed him, he said, “He was my protégé.” Tony had played cricket for St. Peter’s under Darrel.

Darrel was a good student and I am reliably informed by his classmate (from 2nd year at  St. Peter’s) Dr. Derrick Nugara who graduated with  him, that he qualified with 1st class honours. I didn’t know him as a student as he was a few years senior to me, but in 1957, when he was studying for the primary FRCS, he borrowed a box of pathology slides from me. Needless to say, he passed first and won the Hallet Prize.

We were next in London in 1960 when he was studying for the FRCS and I, the MRCP. We both returned to Ceylon in 1962, after passing our exams, to begin our careers at the General Hospital Colombo. I was appointed to the OPD, as Physician in 1964  and we saw a lot of each other.

But it was in 1968 that our close friendship began. When Dr. George Ratnavale, Neurologist took six months off, I had to act for him. Fortunately, after my MRCPE I had spent three months at the Maida Vale Hospital, following the post graduate Neurology course with some of Britain’s foremost Neurologists. I remember, in particular, presenting to Lord Russell Brain. This helped me to fit in easily to the job. We immediately set up a partnership – me the acting Neurologist and he, the Neurosurgeon. To say that he was brilliant is an understatement. We would do weekly joint ward rounds with our junior staff.

A new close relationship then began. At least two or three times a week, we would go out in the evenings and have dinner(just the two of us).We would start at the Officers’ Mess at Galle Face, he was in the Army, then on to the Akase Kade or GOH (names fade!). All the waiters knew Weinman Mahathaya ! The routine after dinner was that we would visit the NSU (sometimes at midnight). He wanted to review the patients he had operated on that morning. Such was the dedication of the man. Many nurses would be sleeping on the floor, not knowing that the Boss was visiting!

It was at that time, his romance blossomed. His junior, Brinda and he fell in love. It was quite a romance. Rumour has it that when Brinda was a student, she had said, “One day I will marry Darrel Weinman”. Only Brinda can confirm this. They lived happily married for almost 50 years.

He used to come home for my children’s birthdays. On one occasion, I was giving a talk to the post graduate institution on Diabetes which he attended. After the talk he came to me and said, “You are mad, giving your secrets away.”

I left for UK in 1970. Around 1973, Brinda came to London to sit for her FRCS. Darrel accompanied her. They visited my house in London. During the day, we took them to the races at Royal Ascot. We were near the stables when the Queen came round. Darrel the Army man, stood to attention and saluted the Queen. I was quite amused. That night, they came home for dinner. After dinner, he and I sat in a room, the others in the next room. After a few drinks, he became quite emotional and said, “I will go wherever you go.” We were both contemplating moving to Australia

In 1975,I got a job as Consultant Physician to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. He wrote to me suggesting, that if I came over, we could start a group practice. Me as the physician, Brinda as the surgeon and he, the neurologist. As I had a hospital appointment, I had to turn down the offer.

We arrived in Sydney in February 1975. Two days after we arrived, he came home and drove us around the eastern suburbs particularly, Bondi Beach. We remained close and often visited each other.

His love was Neurosurgery. It was difficult to get a teaching hospital post as a neurosurgeon. He was appointed Neurosurgeon to Canterbury & Banks town hospitals. But neither had an ICU to look after neurosurgical patients. So, after some time he turned his talents to general practice. He had a huge practice and his patients loved him.

The last occasion we probably met was when out mutual friend, Dr. Tony Don Michael visited Sydney. Her stayed with me and one evening we went to Darrel’s for dinner. Darrel was a gifted pianist and played by ear. After dinner, Darrel sat at the keyboards, Tony (a brilliant tenor) and all of us had a typical Sri Lankan “sing-song”.

I had cardiac surgery in 2015 and now don’t drive much. Never at night. So although we spoke about getting together, it never happened.

He was a wonderful man and brilliant Neurosurgeon. He cared for his patients and loved his wife.

He will be sadly missed.

Ranji Wikramanayake

Dr Darrel Felix WEINMAN

Dr Darrel Felix Born 20.11.1929, Colombo, Sri Lanka Died 14.10.2018, Sydney, Australia Passed away peacefully.  Loving husband of Brinda, father of Jacqueline and Andrew, grandfather of Hannah. Brother of Dawn, Oenone (dec), Willie, Eric, Anne, Rosaine and Lester.  A private funeral will take place. Please respect the privacy of the family during this time.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity of your choice.  He touched many lives and will be sadly missed.  GREGORY & CARR Traditional Funeral Directors Strathfield 9746 9666  Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on Oct. 16, 2018

BA's note: My grateful thanks to Sanath Lamabadusuriya and Nihal Amerasekera for informing me.

An Honoured Sri Lankan Passes Away

Young "Ras"

Dr. N. Rasalingam

Achievements at a glance (click on picture to enlarge)

Dr. N. Rasalingam
By Rohini Anandaraja

Dr. Nagalingam Rasalingam - born in Sri Lanka on 3rd May 1936, passed away peacefully  in Auckland, New Zealand, on 26th August 2017.

He had arrived in NZ in 1969 to begin work as a Houseman in the Public Hospital in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.  Here he impressed his consultants and colleagues with his knowledge of medicine as well as his dedication to work, his cooperation, and his charming personality, to the extent that other Sri Lankan medical professionals were enthusiastically recruited to Wellington Hospital on his recommendation.

In 1974 , he moved to Auckland, to establish his own General Practice- not in a plush elitist area, but in an area of 'special need' where he offered free health care for children under 6 yrs of age, as well as the disadvantaged, long before government funded schemes became available. Known to his patients as Dr.Ras, he served this community with great dedication and compassion.

During the Sri Lankan ethnic conflicts , his own family suffered tremendous loss. He was not only instrumental in helping his own family, but many others who were at risk of losing their lives, to migrate to New Zealand..

During his time in Auckland, there were many other refugees groups who arrived in NZ from Cambodia, Vietnam, Kosovo, Zimbabwe etc, fleeing persecution in their mother lands. His great empathy saw him dedicated to helping these traumatized people settle into their new homes, ensuring they have accessible and affordable health care.

He established interpreter services for them , became Chairperson of the "English for speakers of other languages " Advisory Board at the Auckland University of Technology. In 1991 he served as the inaugural President of the Auckland Refugee Council , continuing in this role for 10 years. In 2006 he became the inaugural President of the Refugee Council of NewZealand, ensuring that New Zealand met its legal and humanitarian obligations under the United Nations Convention on Refugees (UNCR). He was also President of the Ethnic Voice of New Zealand, and spent countless hours being an inspirational and vocal leader, assisting refugees and migrants assimilate into NZ society. Many were the lives he touched.

Making an impact on government and departmental policies and procedures has always been a difficult task. However, Dr. Ras' persistence resulted in many changes for the better management of refugee and migrant issues at the highest levels of government. In recognition of his  dictated service , he was awarded a Queen's Service Medal (QSM) in 1990, and was conferred " Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)" in the Queen's Birthday Honours in year 2000. His awards and accolades have been many, a list of which appears at the beginning of this article.

Dr. Rasalingam has been a very loved and respected member of the NewZealand community that Sri Lanka can be proud of.

His funeral took place on 3rd September, the proceedings commencing to the strains of " Disce Aut Discede" the Royal College anthem, as Ras had been head prefect of RC in 1956. It was attended by over a thousand mourners, with eulogies by a past Governor General of NZ, and past minister and incumbent Mayor of Auckland with whom Dr. Ras had worked closely. They enlightened us further on what a great, yet humble man he was, and made the point that it was unusual for one person to be conferred two honours- but that Dr. Ras  was an extraordinary  human being that they were very privileged to know.

He leaves behind,  his wife Malar, his son Ravi-a cardiologist in Boston, and daughter- a lawyer in NewYork.

His great humanitarian work now behind him  - May his kind soul Rest in Peace.

Blog Administrator's note: "Ras" was a few years senior to us in Medical School. But most of us knew him at least as a "Common Room Acquaintance".

My Tribute to Podihamy

By Nihal D. Amerasekera

In 1955 I was a boarder at Wesley College. During those years of incarceration there was an epidemic of “jaundice” (hepatitis) in the boarding. In that confined environment, communicable diseases had the propensity to spread like wild fire. Like dozens of my friends I too contracted the infection.  The matron asked my parents to take me home. Although the circumstaces weren’t ideal it was lovely to return to my parents. We then lived in Gampaha. When I stepped into the house there was a new face. She was our new maid from Pannala near Negombo. She was  around 4 feet 6 inches tall and in her forties but had no teeth and her hair was all grey. I well remember her kindly face and the pleasant smile.

Due to hepatitis I had lost my appetite. I was confined to bed and the maid stayed with me a lot of the time. She told me her name was Podihamy and had 2 grown up children and a young son just 9 years old. Memories were still raw and she wiped a tear as she spoke of her children and her life back at home. It was poverty that drove her to seek employment away from her children, an unimaginable tragedy for any mother. My mother realised her plight and treated her with much kindness and courtesy. She taught her to cook the way we did and that was to be her main occupation. When my parents were away she was by my side. She had a huge repertoire of old stories of Kings and Queens and ghosts and goblins. She had the tremendous ability to create the right ambience and give life to those characters. These she related in such graphic detail until I fell asleep.

As the years passed I became very close to her. She was part of our family. My mother paid her more than her wage and bought clothes for her and her children. I was struck by her kindness, honesty and loyalty. She possessed an exceptional capacity for tolerance and forgiveness. Podihamy was a typical simple pious villager who went to the Buddhist Temple on Full Moon days and practiced the religion at all times. She wore white and took with her flowers from our garden.  Podihamy impressed us with her fine cooking and keeping the kitchen spotless. She moved house with us to Katunayake then to Kolonnawa, Weligama and finally to Wattala. It was there she retired to return to her home town.

She returned to her home just once every year during Sinhala New Year when she was away for 2 weeks which she extended occasionally to a few more days to attend functions. On her return she brought me lots of sweets. It always took a her a couple of weeks to settle back to her routine as she was overwhelmed by memories of her children.

I developed a close attachment to her as she saw me grow up from a pimple faced teenager to a raucous medical student and a busy doctor. I was working my internship in Kurunegala when she left us after 12 long years of loyal service. By now she had collected enough money to live in the village with her elder son who was now in employment. On my visits home it was strange and sad not to see her kindly face.

Once when I was away working for the Blood Transfusion Service I wrote a letter to her giving the date when I will be in Pannala. She came to see me with a parcel of cashew nuts. From a distance I recognised her toothless smile. Age has taken its toll but her face remained calm and serene. It was such a great pleasure to see her. We reminisced and spoke and laughed for a long time. I saw her eyes well up with tears as those memories came flooding back. Then she bade goodbye. I recall giving her some money. As she left and disappeared into the street my mind was crowded with memories of those happy years at home. I never saw her again.

I still think of her often. She lead a virtuous life according to the principles of Buddhism. I cannot think of a more honest and kind person. Her extraordinary compassion extended well beyond the human race to the many birds and animals that visited our garden. She brought up a cat at home and showered it with much love and affection. It was treated like one of her own. Despite her lowly upbringing and poverty, she was never envious and inspired so much love, joy and warm-heartedness. She had the inner strength and happiness that we all search for today. Podihamy was literate and an intelligent woman. We often give too much credence to education as a prerequisite to lead a noble and useful life.

As I look back now she was closer to the ultimate bliss of Nirvana than anyone else I know. We have had all the opportunities to better our lives. For Podihamy life was an ordeal to endure. Her life seemed doomed right from the start. She made the best use of a bad bargain. Life is so unfair to so many. We live in such an iniquitous world.

May she attain the Ultimate Bliss of Nirvana

Acknowledgement from Ramani Collure

Don Collure	11:58 (5 hours ago)
to Lakshman, me

Dear Lucky,

I would appreciate it, if you could insert the note below into the group blog on my behalf.

Thanks.  Ramani Collure.

Thank you to all  Mahendra Collures  batch mates, for the kind messages and sympathy shared during  our time of loss.  We were deeply touched by your words of condolence.

In appreciation.

Ramani Collure, Nishani and family