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Appreciations

Dashing doc who was liked by all
Upali Weerackody
It was the mid fifties; I was a medical student with a fancy for fast cars and very much into physical culture and the body beautiful. On my way to the gym I spotted this dashing young man impeccably dressed, standing beside a bright red Singer sports car with the hood rolled down.

The car was attracting many admirers both men and women, keen to get a closer look, I believe at the vehicle!! He obviously was proud of his car and so too of his well proportioned 'V' shaped physique, with bulging pectorals and biceps and probably a 32 inch waist!!

The beautiful city of Kandy nestling in the peaceful hills of Senkadagala had been jolted into life by this intruder ! I could not resist the urge to befriend him, though unsure of what his attitude to me would be. I was surprised and overwhelmed by the simplicity and the friendliness of this dashing young man.

When it transpired that my elder brother and he had been contemporaries at Medical school, the foundation for a long term friendship had been laid.This was my first meeting with Upali and I realised how wrong it was to judge people by their appearance.

Upali left for the UK for post graduate training and it was almost seven years later that our paths crossed when Upali was posted to the General Hospital in Kandy as Consultant Anaesthetist and I was attached to its Obstetric Unit.We were involved in sharing professional problems and realised we had a lot in common.

This bonding was more than just being friends, we were 'buddies'. Upali was very intelligent, extremely witty, and had a great sense of humour, at times naughty with his practical jokes! He was very unassuming, an extremely competent Anaesthetist, a good teacher and inspired confidence in his trainees.

He was kind, understanding and generous to patients, colleagues and hospital staff alike and a rare example of a person becoming popular and liked without trying!! I have never known him to lose his temper or his'cool' even in the most trying situations, many of which we shared.

He was a true gentleman and a genuine friend. He was a devoted husband and family man and his charming wife Savitri, a tower of strength to him. He will be sorely missed by his family and wide circle of friends.

Desh Talwatte

An exemplary gentleman
I.L. Dassenaike
Irwin Lee Dassenaike, born on Feb. 17, 1930, passed away on Feb. 5, 2003. He was only a few years elder to me, but was closer to my father who was his school boarding master. I remember that when Irwin heard that my father, then in his 90s, was likely to spend a few months in Colombo, he spontaneously suggested to me that he could stay at his home since none of my father's children or grandchildren had families in Colombo.

Superficially, my father and Irwin had little in common. Irwin was of affluent background, elegantly dressed, an outstanding sportsman, an officer in the army, professionally interested in films and photography, and prone to enjoy the pleasures of social life.

In contrast, my father was of rather austere background and taste, clad in kaddar national dress, and intensely interested in education, Gandhian ideology and the co-operative movement. Their lifestyles and the circles they moved in were different; but they had much respect and affection for each other, which indicates that deep down they had many shared values.

Irwin was a Thomian through and through and, to the end, was a loyal Old Boy. He was in the first batch into S.Thomas Prep, Kollupitiya, and went on to Gurutalawa and Mt. Lavinia. He was outstanding in hockey and was awarded College Colours in cricket, hockey, tennis and fives, and captained the school team in hockey, tennis and fives.

He sustained his interest in many sports and a wide range of hobbies - stamps, orchids, plants, animals, fish, angling, wild life etc. He was fortunate that he was backed in all these by his loyal and devoted wife, Swanthri who has also made her mark in several religious and social activities.

Irwin was much more than an affluent and amiable gentleman with eclectic tastes and interests. He was an avid reader, and meticulously methodical in whatever he planned or did.

He was gentle, modest and courteous, and generous with his time, energy and money. When he passed away a year ago, his family lost a loving husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather, his old school a model and supportive Old Boy, and the community an exemplary Christian gentleman.

Devanesan Nesiah

His mission was to serve others
B.R. De Silva
I joined B.R. De Silva & Company in June, 1962, initially as a trainee and had the privilege of being associated with B.R. De Silva for many years until his death in 1972. I considered him my mentor. We always addressed Mr. De Silva with respect as 'Sir' in our dealings with him. Amongst ourselves he was affectionately referred to as either "BR" or "Boss".

BR was a pious and principled person with a mission in life to help the deserving and less fortunate in society. In the fifties and the early sixties the Accountancy profession was more or less restricted to the elite because among other things, there was a charge of a premium for Articles and a restriction imposed on the number of Articled Clerkships. BR was one of the few practising Chartered Accountants who waived the charge of a premium and openly offered Articles to the deserving children of ordinary Sinhalese families.

He adhered to this policy consistently throughout his career. I am among many others who was a beneficiary of this policy. B.R. De Silva & Company Chartered Accountants are celebrating 50 years in practice on March 1, 2004. To all those working in his firm BR gave every possible opportunity to gain varied experience in the accountancy practice. There are many of us who are grateful to him for the experience that we gained while working in the firm. Not only did he instil technical knowledge but also he continuously talked to us on ethics especially the Buddhist philosophical ethics.

He was a skilled teacher, starting his career as a teacher at Jinaraja College, Gampola in the late 1920s, and thereafter at Moratu Vidyalaya (1934-1938). After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (ICA-E&W) in 1944, he co-founded the firm Satchithananda Schokman & De Silva in 1945 (presently part of the Pricewaterhouse Coopers network). He pioneered accountancy education at Technical College, Peradeniya University and the Vidyodaya University (present Sri Jayewardenepura University).

He lectured on bookkeeping and trust accounts at Law College and many of his students hold prominent positions in business and in the professions of law and accountancy. BR was one who had varied interests outside the accountancy profession. He was one of the few qualified referees of the Athletic Association of Ceylon for about a decade. I have seen him officiating at many a national and schools athletic meet. He was the founder President of the 'CT&FC' Athletic Club and was instrumental in organizing the first ever 'Marathon' run in Ceylon in 1962.

He was an ardent lover and follower of cricket. He never missed a match that Ananda College (his school) played and offered cash gifts to Ananda cricketers who scored a century or a half-century in a match.

He was also a crafty chess player. A number of us have been forced to play a game of chess in the rear seat of his car when travelling outstation on work. I cannot recall an occasion that I won a game of chess against him.

Throughout his life he was a devout practising Buddhist with a keen interest in the study of the Dhamma. In later years, he devoted his entire spare time to the study of Dhamma and passed Dhamma examinations with distinction, qualifying as a 'Thripitakacharya'. Later in life he preferred to be referred to as a 'Thripitakacharya' rather than a 'Chartered Accountant.

May he (if not already) soon transcend 'Samsara' the goal of all who follow the 'Philosophy and the way of life of 'Siddhartha Gautama - The Buddha'.

A.G. Lakshman Perera

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