Appreciations
View(s):His genius soared beyond the profession of accountancy
SPENCER ESMOND SATARASINGHE
S.E. Satarasinghe, the quintessential professional, a founder member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, crossed the great divide at the ripe age of 99. His life is permanently stilled, having shed a brilliant lustre on the profession of accountancy for over 70 years.
He belonged to that rare breed of unique persons gifted with multi-faceted talents. If accountants are accused of being number crunchers having a staid image, Esmond was clearly an exception. In addition to accountancy, subjects like banking, taxation, agriculture, music and literature all came under his grasp. His was a career anything but staid.
Esmond had the distinction of being the only locally qualified accountant on the Institute’s first council. During his tenure spanning from 1960 – 1968, he chaired the Taxation Committee and was responsible for introducing the annual Taxation Oration which continues to be an event in the Institute’s calendar. Esmond along with other founder members envisioned, developed and made the Institute the standard bearer of the accountancy profession.
Esmond was truly a leader of national proportions. His track record takes us through frontier territory which he so ably traversed. His professional
career began at Ceylon Cold Stores Ltd. In 1955 he moved to Brooke Bond Ceylon Ltd which belonged to a multinational group headquartered in the UK. His assiduous
application to work and keenness in discharging his duties saw him spiralling up the corporate ladder with consummate ease.
He became Finance Director of the company in 1963 and Chairman and Managing Director in 1970. He was the first Sri Lankan to be elevated to this prestigious position which he held until his retirement in 1987.
Private sector recognition was reflected in his appointment as Chairman of Commercial and Mercantile Services Provident Society in 1968.
His state sector appointments were both varied and impressive and included member, Hospital Lotteries Board, Income Tax Board of Review, Director, Bank of Ceylon, Insurance Corporation of Sri Lanka. He also held directorships at the Development Finance Corporation and the Tea Board.
He was also consultant to the People’s Bank, Merchant Bank, financial advisor to the Ministry of Plantation Industries, Chairman of the Agricultural and Industrial Corporation of Ceylon. He was the People’s Bank representative on the Central Bank committee of management appointed to investigate Mercantile Credit Ltd. The first state owned corporation to be privatized was the Ceylon Leather Products Corporation and he became chairman of the new entity, Ceylon Leather Products Ltd. The positions he held helped strengthen the governance structure of these organisations.
Esmond was a great leader who followed the maxim ‘pro bono publico’ – serving the public. The Christian values he embraced curiously juxtaposed with his Marxist ideology and he found solace in the company of eminent Marxists such as N.M. Perera, Colvin R. de Silva, Doric d’ Souza and the like. Esmond spent his evenings with this wine-drinking, caviar-eating elitist group discussing socialist values – he believed that socialism was the panacea for the problems facing the country. However, in recent times, he had somewhat diluted views on the subject.
Esmond’s genius soared beyond the profession of accountancy. His forays into classical music left followers in awe. He was an accomplished exponent of classical music and his lessons in chamber music broadcast over Radio Ceylon tugged at the heartstrings of a discerning audience for over half a century.
Esmond had a quiet unassuming demeanour – however he was quick to react when necessary and expressed his views even at the expense of ruffling a few feathers.
Esmond has departed the trail he blazed which will continue to inspire his fellow professionals. The quality, depth and the range of his contribution made him an integral part of the narrative of CA Sri Lanka.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Lal Nanayakkara (Past President, Institute of Chartered Accountants Sri Lanka)
Her guidance, love and presence we will always miss
Dr. Premini Amerasinghe
She was a…
Precious daughter born premature and swaddled in cotton wool to beat all odds,
to be a nonagenarian….
Mischievous young girl who sat on trees to read, catching the eye of Uncle Mark living next door, who later became her husband
Impish schoolgirl at Ladies’ College who went on to Medical College to become an exceptional Radiologist
Elegant lady who wore the saree like no other, driving her famous Morris Minor precariously down the hilly roads in Kandy
Dutiful wife who juggled her career with children and house hold tasks, especially with her cooking skills
Loving mother who brought up four beautiful daughters to be loving and caring human beings
Doting Grandmother who was admired profusely by her six grand children
Adoring Great Grandmother (GG) who was lucky to meet three of her great grand children
She was a ….
Doctor to many souls who had immense faith in her abilities
Madam to generations of medical students who honed their skills to be their best
Poet and author whose creative skills were recognized by the accolades she won
Friend to many and gave her utmost at all times
Master chef whose recipes are produced in many households
To me she was…..
Aunty Premini, mother of my dearest friend Manju
She was larger than life
Living many roles in one lifetime
Someone you could sit beside and talk
about just everything
Always making time for others to listen, to advise, hold a hand or wipe a tear
The impression she made on so many lives
I will not see in my lifetime in any other
Her guidance, her love, and her presence we will always miss
Her legacy will live on ….
Anagi De Silva
To our friend: You reminded us to cherish those we hold dear
SHIRAN MASSARON
To many who knew Shiran, the timeless lines from Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Richard II will feel especially resonant – echoing themes of loyalty, the rarity of true friendship, and the deep bonds that unite kindred spirits. Shiran was a true example who reminded us to cherish those we trust and hold dear.
I write this tribute in appreciation of a dear friend who brought immense joy and a profound sense of unity to all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. Shiran was distinguished by his generous spirit and unwavering commitment to others. We are deeply grateful for the enduring legacy of honour, dignity and faithfulness that he leaves behind.
We thank you, Shiran, for your trust and your sincere friendship. You were always present for your friends, offering support without judgment. Even when faced with those who may have wronged you, you chose silence and kindness, guided by your steadfast belief that judgment belongs to God Almighty alone.
I had the privilege of knowing Shiran for over two decades. We worked as colleagues in two multinational organizations. It was always a pleasure to work alongside him and to witness the depth of his commitment in leadership. He will be remembered as a powerful and positive influence—someone who enriched the lives of those around him in immeasurable ways through his encouragement and emotional support. He led his teams not only for success in work, but for success in life. He did not demand perfection from them; rather, he inspired them to uplift one another, to celebrate each other’s achievements, and to remain hopeful for what lies ahead.
As a friend, Shiran exemplified the true essence of enduring friendship. He was the central force who kept connections alive among friends scattered across the world, taking great joy in bringing people together and strengthening those bonds. He will remain a cherished friend to many – deeply missed and fondly remembered. We are grateful for the laughter, the memories, and the many fellowship gatherings he so thoughtfully organized.
To Shamin, his loving wife, and his two beloved daughters, Heba and Huda, I extend my deepest condolences. I understand that life will never be the same, and that you will deeply miss the kindness and love of this remarkable man.
We take comfort in knowing that he is now in safe hands, in the presence of the Almighty. May Almighty Allah grant him eternal peace in Jannathul Firdouse.
Sanjiv Wijayasinghe
My teacher, my friend, my father in the Dhamma
PROF. Y. KARUNADASA
When Professor Y. Karunadasa passed away in Colombo on April 27, I lost a teacher who had become my friend, a friend who loved me with the care of a father. In the Sri Lankan tradition, we do lightly call an elder “father” or “mother,” especially when they possess great values, principles and loving kindness. That is what Professor Karunadasa was to me.
I did not sit in his classroom as a regular student. My path to him was different. After writing my first research article, a few seniors noticed something in it, a depth they said was rare for a beginner. They told me to show the paper to Professor Karunadasa. “If he approves, you will know you are on the right track.”
I was nervous. He was already a legend. But I knocked on his door, handed him my pages, and waited. He read silently for a long time. Then he looked up and said, “You have asked a question most people miss. That is good. But your answer is still afraid of its own shadow.” He did not praise me. He did not dismiss me. He simply invited me to sit down. “Let us look at this together,” he said.
That afternoon became the first of hundreds. We were never master and disciple in the ordinary sense. He became my untraditional teacher, and I became his friend—a friend who happened to be young and thirsty for the Dhamma. Over the years, whenever I faced great challenges in my scholarly work, he was there. Not as a lecturer but as an elder who had walked the same hard path.
Once, I was stuck on a problem about sabhava (intrinsic nature) in the Abhidhamma. Every translation I tried felt wrong. I went to him exhausted, almost ready to give up. He did not give me an answer. Instead, he said, “You are stuck because you want a final word. The Buddha never gave final words. He pointed to the moon. Stop trying to own the moon. Just look.” Then he smiled and added, “Come, have some tea. The text will still be there tomorrow. And so will you.”
That was his way. He never solved my problems for me. He gave me the courage to solve them myself. As an untraditional teacher, he was precise but never rigid. As a friend, he was always available, never too busy for a young researcher who knocked on his door. And as a father-like elder, in the deepest Sri Lankan sense, he loved without possessiveness.
My own father and mother gave me the best nature and nurture to become a scientist and a philosopher. I honour them above all. But Professor Karunadasa added something else: a scholarly father’s hand on my shoulder when I doubted my own mind. When I published my first difficult paper, he sent me a short note: “Well done. Now do better next time. That is how we grow.” I still have that note.
Many will write about his First Class Honours in Pali (1958), his PhD from London, his Deanship at Kelaniya, his founding of the Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, his visiting chairs at SOAS, Toronto, Calgary, Hong Kong, and his national honour Sri Lanka Sikhamani in 2005. All true. All remarkable. But for me, his greatest legacy is that when I was lost in the forest of scholarship, he did not carry me out. He taught me to read the stars. And when I fell, he helped me rise, not as a master, but as a kind elder who had once been lost himself.
He once said to me, “The Dhamma is not about becoming someone else. It is about ceasing to pretend you are someone you are not.” He lived those words. That is why we respected him as a father.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
K.L. Senarath Dayathilake
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