Appreciations
View(s):One of the last survivors of the halcyon days of the foreign service
Dr. John Gooneratne
The recent passing of a stalwart of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service (SLFS), John Gooneratne, brought to a close the life of a colourful personality who was one of the last survivors of the halcyon days of the foreign service. John was particularly close to his batchmates and one of them, Manel Abeysekera, one of the first female foreign service officers, used to teasingly call him “Val John” giving a Sri Lankan twist to the name Jean Valjean, the protagonist in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.
I first met John when he dropped in at my parental home at de Fonseka Road to collect some letters to be sent to my father who was then the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Egypt. John was quite close to my younger brother Srilal, who stayed behind to study in Cairo, at the time John was First Secretary. He was very helpful to Sri Lankans, in particular the students who turned to the Embassy for assistance and was known for his quiet and friendly demeanour.
John held several important diplomatic postings during his time in the foreign service, most notably in Iraq during the height of the Gulf War. Perhaps it was this experience that set him on the path of pursuing conflict resolution post-retirement and culminated in his being appointed as the chair of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) which was established to coordinate the peace process in Sri Lanka. Upon retirement John did not lose his zeal for work and was involved with several think tanks and academic institutions and has left a legacy for students of diplomacy and conflict resolution.
He was an enthusiastic participant in a small group of ex-foreign service officers who came to be known as the “Peach Valley Group” based on the venue of our gatherings, which as the members of the group aged and diets became more restrictive had to be moved to a more geriatric friendly venue. The last occasion on which the group convened was in May this year to coincide with John’s birthday. Even then he kept everyone entertained with his anecdotes of his days in the Foreign Ministry and enjoyed a good laugh, even at his own expense.
An ardent old Thomian and having lived most of his life in the environs of Mount Lavinia, John was essentially a “Galkissa boy”. After his retirement he moved to Rukmalgama in Kottawa and used to jokingly sign off his e-mails with the signature “Kottawa Institute of Strategic Studies” or “KISS” and used to joke that it was a good thing that he didn’t live in Piliyandala!!! Perhaps it is fitting that John spent his last days in and bade adieu to his friends on September 6 from Mount Lavinia.
John will always be remembered for his simplicity and warm personality.
May the turf rest lightly, my friend!
Amrith Rohan Perera
Her dedication to serving the Sasanaya will always be remembered
Shyama Priyanka Weerathunga
Shyama Priyanka Weerathunga passed away on September 15 after a short period of illness due to cancer. She was the beloved wife of Priyankara Liyanage, Attorney-at-Law and Unofficial Magistrate at Baddegama Courts. An illustrious lady, her untimely death was a shock to all her friends and those who knew her.
From her schooldays she had been guided by the ethics of religion. She accomplished her responsibilities towards the family, and relatives as well as towards her neighbours true to her conscience. Owing to her integrity and dedication in religious matters, she was given leadership roles in the Dayaka Sabhas of temples and other welfare societies in the area. She helped everyone at their time of need. At the prime of her youth she worked indefatigably to attend to all religious matters especially in providing dana to the clergy in the nearby temples.
She attended G/ Sangamitta Balika College, Galle and excelled in her higher education. She never missed attending the Sunday Malalasekara Dhamma School conducted at Sri Wijayawardhanaramaya Keembiela, Baddegama. A devout Buddhist, she was concerned with the welfare of the Buddhist clergy as well.
All the chief prelates of temples in the Baddegama area were present to conduct the pansakula ceremony. Their orations emphasised the invaluable services she had rendered towards the Sasana.
Her demise was an irreparable loss to the area. Her second son who was a medical student at Tver State Medical Academy in Moscow had obtained his medical degree and just returned to the island when his mother fell critically ill. He was thoroughly grieved as he had no opportunity to treat her. All the members of the Bar Association Galle together with her husband’s Law College mates were present among the large gathering that thronged to pay their last respects to her.
May she attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.
R. L. Gurugamage Dodoanduwa
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