Srimathie Padma Grero: A gracious lady

Srimathie Padma Grero, Srima akka to most of us, passed away three months ago on May 15 2016 at 80, after ailing for some time.

She was the only child to respected teacher- parents Mr and Mrs Kaluvitharana from Talpawila, Matara. After her early schooling at Matara Convent, she gained admission to Visakha Vidyalaya in Colombo. My father-in-law, David Hewa Gajanayake played a prominent role in getting Srima akka admitted to Visakha Vidyalaya and providing her with accommodation at his home in Sylvester Road, Mt.Lavinia.

This gave the opportunity for my wife, Vajira and her two brothers, late Naresha and Ranjit to entertain Srima akka as a family member. My wife benefited immensely as a result. Srima akka followed her parents and became a teacher. She married the late Dr. Ananda Grero, former Appeal Court Judge, while he was practising in the Matara Courts.

They were a loving and exemplary couple. While Ananda Aiya had a busy life Srima akka looked after the home maintaining close acquaintances with relatives and friends.

She had the rare quality of moving with ease with people of all walks of life and helping them.

Although I am distantly related to Srima akka, my association with her became close only after I married Vajira. Srima akka and Ananda aiya played a guiding role in most of our activities.

After his demise, about fourteen years ago, Srima akka became somewhat lonely at her home in Meegoda. However, she faced the situation courageously with the support of everyone including Podi, Amarasiri and others.

Our association became close and we were in contact with her almost daily. She read a lot of religious and literary books left behind by Ananda aiya in his library. She was in regular contact with her relatives including Chami, Deepthi, Deepika and others from Matara. She enjoyed the company of her close relatives and friends and invited them home to spend the time with her. She had a poetic skill too which Ananda aiya also possessed. Her greeting cards were always accompanied by verses composed by her, some of which were emotional.

She observed ata sil on every Poya day and donated immensely to temples and other charities. She sought guidance from the Maha Sangha whenever needed. She obtained blessings and guidance from the most venerable Trikunamale Ananda Maha Nayaka Thera of Vajiraramaya Temple every year when the Dhamma booklets were printed for free distribution in memory of her husband. She travelled to India on the Dambadiva pilgrimage on three different occasions and we were fortunate to join her on one occasion.

Srima akka donated her ancestral home in Talpawila, Matara to Sarvodaya Movement for them to use it for disabled children. She was friendly with the staff and inmates which she enjoyed very much.

She was a gracious lady and lived a simple life to the very end.

May she attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.

Susiri Dayaratne

Thilak Jayarathne : Thaththa... our shining light

It's been four year since you left us. We still find it difficult to believe that you are gone. You were our strength our hope and the shining light that me, amma and malli looked up to. The void that was created in our lives cannot be replaced by anything. The only solace that we have is remembering the good times that we had and when we hear how much you are being appreciated by people who worked with you making us realize how privileged we were.

There isn't a day where we don't think of you. The last moments that you were with us .... I will never forget. You were a fighter thaththa. The way you faced life especially with your illness - the strength that you showed was admirable.

I wish I had half of the strength that you showed. Even when you were sick you didn't forget to do the things that you loved the most -reading and writing. You wrote the most beautiful poems and you shared them with me as well.

Your work was appreciated by everyone. The teledramas you wrote which won many awards changed the usual storyline of the teledramas back then. You were a learned person and on the day of your funeral I learnt what an irreplaceable person you were to society. You were a good teacher and a renowned writer all put into one.

The amount of work you did can only be imagined! You were incomparable thaththa. You were the best! Thank you for being there for us, the advice that you gave and for looking after us. Amma, me and malli miss you a lot thaththa, but we are thankful for the loving husband and thaththa you were.

Till we meet in heaven one day.

-Amma, Kasun and Malli

K.D.E. Jayasena :Soft spoken gentleman of rare quality

The recent death of K.D.E. Jayasena, Attorney-at-Law, has taken away yet another veteran who served Lake House for over three and a half decades of dedicated service.

Jaye, as he was known to a host of us, was attached to the Secretaries Department under the legendary CEO Earle Abayasekara. Jaye joined Lake House from the River Valley Development Board after it was dissolved in the 1960s, bringing with him a wealth of experience which he put to good use as Personnel Manager and later as Assistant Secretary - Legal.

Jaye and I built a lasting friendship and out bonds grew stronger when we discovered we both were inveterate bookworms. I recall the times when we would browse the shelves of the British Council for hours, only to become addicted to the wide range of books on the history of World War II. And having read Cornelius Ryan's epic The Longest Day, one afternoon we obtained half day's leave and hastened to the Majestic Theatre to watch the Warner Bros version being screened. Needless to say, it was a satisfying theatrical experience. It is with sadness I recall those evenings where he would rope me in to explore the book stalls down Wijewardena Mawatha. We would drive down in his black Volkswagen Beetle and yet again browse the shops until closing time, and never would we return empty handed. One evening in our browsing rounds, I picked out a battered-looking Penguin paperback of Somerset Maugham's Cakes and Ale and inducted him to read it. He remained a Somerset Maugham fan thereafter.

To remember Jaye is to remember a soft spoken gentleman of rare quality. He was also very well read and could speak with authority on any given subject.

He lived a long, peaceful and uncomplicated life and passed away as quietly as he had lived in his ancestral home in Kelaniya.

May he attain the bliss of Nirvana!

- Donald Nugawela.