Appreciation:
April 7, 2013, 8:05 pmA pall of gloom descended over the hill capital in the evening of the 21st day of March 2013 at the untimely demise of Dayananda Weeraratne, the Chairman of ‘The Bakehouse’ Kandy. He was the youngest of the three Weeraratne brothers who were esteemed citizens of Kandy and who had predeceased him. Having arrived in Kandy after the two elder brothers had established their business houses on ‘Dalada Veediya’ Daya too joined them in early seventies guided and ably assisted by the brothers and quickly made his name as a hotelier.
Over the years his business progressed and prospered thanks to the cooperation extended by his wife Chitra who was his close confidante and partner and a tower of strength to him. With time he made many friends from among the business community as well as the professionals. However he did not lose the common touch and became more humble and accessible for most welfare activities in town. Daya with Chitra’s religious bent and genuine concern for the deserving people and causes easily earned positions in service oriented organisations such as the YMBA, 6Ys and the Lions club Kandy. He was also a very active member of the ‘Sinhala Velanda Peramuna, Kandy. They were there always willing and volunteering to help individuals, school activities and community based activities.The large crowds,and the spontaneous expression of sympathy and sorrow at the funeral house were enough testimony to his popularity and recognition as a truly beloved personage.
They were blessed with two children, son Nadija and daughter Tharanga who gave them so much joy and happiness
as they grew up to be accomplished and exemplary youngsters. When they came of age they married with parental blessings and gave them adorable grandchildren who gave all of them immense happiness. The affection sometimes spilt over to the extent of spoiling them!
With passage of time under Daya’s stewardship and ‘hands on training’ Nadija adroitly acquired the skills necessary for carrying out the father’s business; Daya found in him a confident, dependable and shrewd business partner in whose hands
he could trust the business to do well. Daya towards his tail end of life-which none of us could foresee or predict-enjoyed life to the full, engaging in service to the community as well as going on frequent holidays abroad. Maintaining good health, wholesome mental attitudes and remaining contented no one could have predicted that his end would come the way it came. Out of the blues, death came with no warning signs or symptoms that could have been corrected or attended to with advance notice. Chitra has lost her faithful, loving and most understanding husband while the children and grandchildren a loving father and doting grandfather. We, some of whom are considered members of their extended family, have lost a great, noble and humble human being whose hand of friendship and support was always steady and unwavering. Kandy will be hard put to find a person to fill the void he has created wherever he worked, being a man of unimpeachable character,honesty,integrity and great commitment. One can only wonder with amazement how Chitra is going to cope with loss of such paralytic suddenness and magnitude though she has the unfailing support of Nadija and Tharanga at all times. We are yet to realise the gravity of loss of a man like Daya: we can picture him smiling, laughing and cracking jokes good-naturedly, often at Chitra’s expense!
Good karma he had done has earned him a quick exit from this world. Only we are left shocked, numbed and deeply saddened. But less us console ourselves that we are left with rich, endearing and lasting memories of a life lived to the full. He did not suffer and neither his near and dear ones had to perceive a mind and body withering affliction that could have been kept’undead’ by sophisticated hospital machinery. His death has enshrined him and frozen him in time in our mind’s eye until our departure from this world.
May his journey in Samsara be short!
Dr. Nanda Amarasekera
Colombo.
island.lk