Anton Perera: Heart that saw the best in others
Words fail to express how much we miss you. Your laughter was warm and generous. Your love for your children was abundant. We felt it when you took us to school everyday, when you took utmost pride in our achievements, when you wrapped your grandchildren with that same love and when your calls to check on us never stopped.
You had a generous heart. A heart which would help anyone to the best of your ability, a heart that saw the best in others, and a heart which could feel the utmost joy in the simple things of life.
I wish we could take life as you did. Take each day as it comes. You lived today without worrying about tomorrow.
You challenged the challenges in life. "I am healthy," you used to always say, and true to your words, you were always healthy in mind. Even at the most challenging moments, you were able to be positive about the future. Age was just a number to you, as it was never able to break your spirit.
You were always young at heart. Dear Thaththa, we will not need special days to remember you. You will always be in our lives, as you were a great father who had the amazing ability to love and show that love to your children, so we could feel it within us.
Now that you are gone, there is a void that will remain with us forever. The Bible says, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life" (Daniel 12:2). I look forward to that day, not because I could have everlasting life, but because I could hug you one more time and say, “I love you, Thaththa.”
I love you, Aiya loves you, Amma loves you. We all love you and miss you dearly.
Rest peacefully. Let’s meet again. Until then,
Chuti, and Loku Putha, Nali, Charith, and Miyangi and your grandchildren Dasindu, Chesna and Sayul
Reggie Abeyweera: Business legend of our times
My first recollection of Abeyweera was when I was nine years old and my father built a house at Athula Mawatha off Templer's Road at the then De Soysa Estate in Ratmalana.
Abeyweera was one of the first residents of De Soysa Estate. Maybe a few years ago, he constructed a two storeyed house which was a luxury at that time for all of us to admire.
Then, later in life when I joined Turquand Youngs (predecessor to Ernest & Young) in 1965 as an article clerk, I initiated business contacts with Abeyweera. We knew each other from our Ratmalana Estate days. He used to drive a Vauxhall Wywern at that time even though he was the Chairman and Managing Director of JL Morrison Son and Jones (Ceylon Ltd). He didn't have a driver like how a chairman has today.
Whenever he sees me on Templer's Road, he used to stop the car and offer me a lift up to Queens Street Fort where my office was at that time.
Simplicity was his hallmark. He used to come for lunch at the YMBA building in Fort where Pagoda Tea Rooms ran a canteen. He used to come in a short sleeve shirt and a tie always. From the second year of my articles, I was sent for the audit of Morrison's. I used to enjoy my time at Morrison's as Abeyweera used to always come and find out about us and the progress of the audit. Thereafter, when I was made a Partner in 1972, I handled the Morrison's audit until I retired in 1991. During this time there was complete restructuring of Morrison's when it went from foreign-owned company to a Sri Lankan-owned company. Abeyweera became the major shareholder with over 50 percent of shares.
Tragedy also struck Abeyweera. He was blessed with three daughters, and in 1983, his eldest daughter who he was grooming to take over from him, passed away due to a sudden illness. Thereafter, he concentrated on doing a lot of religious activities in her name.
He was the primary trustee of Mallikarama Temple at Ratmalana. After his daughter's death, he was building many temples. About five years ago, he sold his shareholding of Morrison's to Hemas.
He is survived by his wife and two other daughters, who lives in Australia.
May he attain Nibbana!
H. Gamini Fonseka
Add new comment