"Pana" is no more

Ranjith Panabokke that dashing flanker from Trinity College, Kandy is no more. He passed away after a long illness and his funeral took place yesterday at Jawatte Cemetery.

"Pana" as he was affectionately known from his school days, hailed from an illustrious family from Kadugannawa and had his schooling at Trinity College.

A jovial personality, he received his colours at rugby in 1969 together with two former Sri Lanka players, Irwin Hewie and Tikiri Marambe and some of his team mates were Y. S. Pin, Mohan Balasuriya, Madawela, "Seiya" Samarasekera, "Bakka" Shanthikumar, Roy Balasuriya, Niroshan de Silva, Lalith Ramanayake, Ralph Roberts, Cuda Wadugodapitiya and Jeffrey Yu to name a few.

"Pana" when he was boarded at the residence of yet another Trinity "great" Ken de Joodt, spent many an evening with this writer who was a classmate, recounting their schooldays and rugby in general.

He later was engaged in business and exported vegetables etc to the Maldive Islands and even married a Maldivian lass. He leaves beloved his wife and two daughters.

May he rest in peace.

(L.G.)