Appreciations
View(s):A great boss and true friend
BARBARA GUNASEKARA
It is nine months since Barbara Gunasekara passed away, and it is fitting to pay tribute to her on her 89th birth anniversary which falls on July 22.
I had known Mrs.Gunasekara for over four decades. She was the Principal of St. Paul’s Girls School Milagiriya. She was my boss – whom we all respected and stood in awe of, but she was also a true friend. It was amazing that this lady who walked the corridors of St. Paul’s like a colossus could also be so humane and display such immeasurable kindness, concern and generosity.
My association with her goes a long way back and continued even after retirement and the bond extended to her daughter Sharmini and her family who always made me feel at home whenever I dropped in to see Mrs. G. Incidentally when Mrs. Gunasekara retired she tried very hard to get me to call her “Barbara” instead of the formal Mrs G – such was her simplicity! But I just could not comply, as to use it, was tantamount to disrespect – and so, much to her disappointment she continued to be Mrs. G!
There are so many memories connected with her, especially for those of us who had the good fortune to accompany her on trips to Uda Walawe, Kataragama and other places.
Talking of memory, hers was photographic, she was so aware of things and she remembered dates, incidents etc and would often jog our memories when we failed to recollect these things.
She never forgot birthdays and important events in the lives of those close to her. I was fortunate to fall into that category, and every year she was among the first to wish me on my birthday and visit with a well thought of gift, to wish me personally except at the very end when ill health prevented her from doing so.
As a person she was generally calm and unruffled and rarely lost control. Once when there was a bomb scare in the school, all the teachers ran looking for shelter. Fortunately there were no girls present and it turned out to be a false alarm as it was some chemical reaction that had resulted in the crackling sound when the lab was being cleaned out! Mrs. G remained calm and managed to restore order once again.
The one time I saw her visibly angry was when, while working in the office another teacher Gulnar and I noticed how untidy her table was, with papers, files, books, etc strewn all around and decided to bring a semblance of order to it in her absence. But we never bargained for her reaction when she came in and found that she could not lay her hands on a particular crumpled piece of paper, since we had moved things around in our efforts to organize her otherwise chaotic table. She never said a word to us but she looked like a thundercloud about to burst and we went weak at the knees! Anyway, we got the message and swore never to touch the things on her table ever again!
Mrs.Gunasekara touched the lives of many people, her students, teachers, parents and others. Her kindness, generosity, sympathetic nature and hospitality were beyond measure. She was always ready to reach out and help someone in trouble.
She respected all religions – being profoundly religious herself, she never hesitated to storm the heavens on behalf of those near and dear to her whom she felt in need of divine intervention to solve a problem, and she would assure them that God would take care of everything, such was her faith. She was above all, a caring human being and this quality of hers has rubbed off on her only daughter Sharmini – her pride and joy.
Mrs. Gunasekara was not born a Sinhalese, but she was Sinhalese to the core, observing all the customs and traditions of the Sinhalese. Her Sinhala was no doubt faulty and never ceased to amuse not only us, but even the people on the road who were entertained when she addressed the School Assembly in Sinhala from the balcony overlooking Dickman’s Road! But she got her point across and that was what mattered.
She always wore saree and her modesty was evident in her half lined jackets which always intrigued us.
Mr. Gunasekara – her Daya – who hailed from Matale would no doubt have been proud that his beloved “Barbie” upheld and observed the culture and customs of a traditional Sinhala family. Theirs was a marriage made in heaven and they were deeply devoted to each other, Mr. Gunasekara’s passing away left her devastated, but she managed to pick herself up and carried on with resilience. Her faith in God helped her through these difficult times.
Mrs.G was deeply committed to her family, and took her responsibilities very seriously. On occasions when Sharmini had to be away from home fulfilling her duties as a mother and grandmother, her husband Bertram became Mrs. G’s responsibility, and many times she has told us that she can’t leave the house because she has to look after Bertram, although we knew very well that it was vice versa and Bertram in his inimitable quiet manner was a source of strength to his mother-in-law.
I know Sharmini and her boys, Janek and Dhanika will miss her and the void in their home can never be filled. Janek in particular was his grandmother’s prime concern, but she was equally proud of both grandsons. When Dhanika presented her with her first great grandchild she was ecstatic and eagerly looked forward to meeting them at Christmas. But fate decreed otherwise, and sadly she missed out on holding that little bundle of joy in her arms.
Those of us who were close to her will miss her too. We will miss the friendly chats and the jokes we shared. Above all we will miss her on July 22nd when we used to gather at No.6. Swarna Road, to wish her on her birthday and enjoy the open hearted hospitality extended to us.
So farewell dear Mrs. Gunasekara – rest in peace. You will always be in the hearts of those who loved you and whose lives you touched in some way or the other.
-Ranee de Alwis
A legend in her time
CAMELLIA ‘KEM’ MARTENSTYN
Camellia or Kem as she was referred to by all is no more, but this iconic lady lives on in the hearts and minds of all who knew her. A legend in her time, Kem was a wonder woman. She looked exquisite at all times, regardless of her age! She was a cordon bleu chef – her moussaka was unique. She was a businesswoman, fashion icon, dress designer, entrepreneur, hostess par excellence – her dinner parties were famous, her homes were works of art, and she was a perfectionist in all she undertook.
Widowed at the young age of 34, she brought up her five children and ran her husband’s business D. V. Martenstyn and Sons. She learnt to run the company and all that it entailed and ensured she made a success of it. She later married Bevis D’Silva and together they managed the Company, travelled and led a wonderful life despite her early tragedy.
“Camellia” her dress boutique in the late 1950’s to 60’s located at 99 Rosemead Place which in fact was her home, boasted the only imported model dresses from “Paige” and Lana Lobell in the country and she counted amongst her clients, members, the diplomatic corps, expatriates and Colombo’s elite.
In 1973, together with her daughter Maeve she began a successful fashion boutique “Orientations” which was a boon to the fashion conscious of that time – both young and old. In fact both my sister and I would frequent Orientations on an average once a week and we still have a couple of blouses in our wardrobes which were the envy of all our friends back then.
Kem together with Maeve staged the most amazing fashion shows both here and abroad in Paris, Amsterdam and Denmark in the 70’s and 80’s; ‘Out of Africa’ and ‘Femme’ being two of them. An ardent social worker, she was awarded for her project “Eyes First” for the Lions Club, while she was also President of the Women’s International Club, the Eighty Club, the Ceylon Amateur Dance Association and the Dutch Burgher Union.
Her energy and determination to resurrect and restore the DBU to its past glory is now part of its history! The DBU honoured her with not one but two plaques in recognition of her work. Kem was much photographed and written about all her life, whether it was by Yrol Jayawardene, Kirthi Sri Karunaratne or more recently the Hi Magazine or In Vogue; from her early days at the races in Colombo as well as at most diplomatic parties, to more recent gatherings, Kem always stood out – a real fashionista.
Having travelled widely from a young age, Kem was cosmopolitan in outlook and the epitome of sophistication and good taste. Her homes were always beautifully decorated and a pleasure to be in, with Kem herself being the ultimate hostess. Her parties were memorable with Midnight Croquet on the Lawn being the one most remembered and talked about!
Despite her hectic schedule, she was a model mother and devoted to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She educated three sons in the UK in the days when few did so, as she valued a good education. She had more than her fair share of bereavement and grief, having lost her eldest son Cedric and eldest grandson Jason, who sacrificed their lives in service for their country 20 years ago.
Kem was a woman in a million; beautiful, capable, a businesswoman, an entrepreneur, the perfect hostess, a fashion icon, a wonderful mother and friend; in short a memorable and irreplaceable personality. You will be missed by all who knew and loved you Kem, you were most definitely special and unique, a legend in your time!
Anusha David
How do I fly alone?
Colonel Fazly Laphir
In memory of Colonel Fazly Laphir PWV, RWP, RSP Commanding Oficer, 1st Regiment Special Forces who died in action on July 19, 1996 while on the rescue mission in Mullaitivu
My dearest darling Fazly,
My arms miss the embraces
eyes, your sight
Ears, those whispers
During sleepless nights
Warmth of your breath I miss
Softness of the touch
Calmness of the heart so pure
When the going gets tough
Miss how safe it was when,
the head against your chest
Kisses so tender placed on,
tear-filled eyelids
Great was then; we flew together
Love was everything
How can I fly all alone?
Each had just one wing
Ano
He upheld the needy in prayer
REVD. FR. EMMANUEL JEBAMANI GNANAPRAGASAM
Fr. Emmanuel, as he was very affectionately known to all of us, was born on October 22, in 1927.
He had his education at Trinity College, Kandy, and finished his studies at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia. He had his training as a clergyperson at the then Divinity School, in Colombo, where he was from 1952-1954.
He was made a deacon on December 19, 1954, at the then Cathedral in Mutwal by the then Bishop of Colombo, The Rt. Rev. Archibald Graham Campbell. He was ordained as a priest at the same venue in December 1955, by the same Bishop.
His service in the Diocese of Colombo was from 1955 when he started his work as an Assistant Curate at All Saints’ Pettah. When he retired in the late 1990s, he was the Priest in Charge of Mirihana. His main interest as a Clergyperson was on the Ministry of Intercession and thus he served as the Vice-Chairperson of the National Prayer Committee.
Both Fr. Emmanuel and I went to Trinity College, Kandy. When my late wife, Sarojini, was ill with cancer, she used to go for Fr. Emmanuel’s healing services at St. Paul’s, Kynsey Road. May Fr. Emmanuel’s soul rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.
-Sydney Knight
A colourful personality who ran a straight race
CHRISTOPHER JAMES EDWARD ANTHONISZ
Christo, as he was affectionately known ran the straight race through “God’s good grace” for 93 years until he was called to his eternal rest on September 3, 2015.
His career at Richmond College Galle had been fantastic in the classroom and in the field of sports, where he had been the vice captain of cricket, soccer, an athlete and swimmer of repute. He carried all these to the University College where he had created records for high jump and pole vault before sprinting to the Bank of Ceylon in 1945 as a Staff Assistant after securing an Honours Degree in Economics. Banking and Currency were the areas of his specialization. He authored several books, “Selective Devaluation”, “Where Angels fear to tread” and “Living with Inflation” which was a sequel to ‘Keynes the forgotten socialist’ and he reviewed the informative publication “Central Bank of Ceylon functions and working” in 1981.
He served the bank in various executive positions which included the London Branch, where he was Manager.His forte was International Banking. While in UK he had undergone training at Barclay’s Bank and at Westminster Bank (now National Westminster Bank ).
His interest in sports continued unabated during his banking days, and on one occasion when he served on the panel to recruit Sub Accountants, a candidate had been from his rival school, St Aloysius Galle. Seeing that the applicant was a coloursman for cricket and soccer, Anthonisz had asked whether he read the news that Richmond had beaten St Aloysius at soccer in a match during the weekend, to which had come the rejoinder “Yes sir, but if you read further you will note that it is after nineteen years” (laughter) . He was the first and perhaps the last Dutch Burgher who tiptoed all the way to become General Manager of the Bank of Ceylon, in 1977, having all the virtues including his attractive complexion and stately personality.
He retired in 1981, and later served the Overseas Trust Bank and as a Director on the board of the National Development Bank. He was an Advisor to the Amsterdam & Netherland Bank Colombo Branch.
He was happily married to Gladys nee Vandort for over 65 years and while being an ideal couple they were loving parents to their daughter Theoni and son Mike, and doting grand and great- grandparents to five grand children and 12 great grand children.
Anthonisz loved his family, his alma mater, his employer, the land of his birth in an unfavourable political climate for those of his ilk, and above all his Lord and maker, and now must be resting in felicity where angels don’t fear to tread in the company of his wife who predeceased him and with his closely knit circle of friends at the Bank, Sydney Sirimanne (a former GM), Budge (Donald Perera), Bartie (Rajasingham), Leo (Singham), Maths (Mathew), Hamlin (Saldin), Muru (Murugesan) and Dougie (De Mel). With his passing the curtain falls on a colourful chapter in the history of the Bank of Ceylon.
-Merril De Silva