You left behind a legacy of laughter and wonderful memories

Part and parcel of the Sri Lankan identity, for me at least, was the presence at any family gathering, of a trademark group of uncles, most often assembled in a corner with some spirits to keep them going.

As a boisterous juvenile, I was often asked by them to visit the kitchen and smuggle out some cutlets or whatever the ‘bite of the moment’ was. One of these colourful characters was my dear Uncle Morgan who left this earth last year, leaving behind a legacy of laughter, good times and wonderful memories.

The second son of D. Jason Fernando, Morgan Fernando was a member of the 1950 Group of Royal College and was mighty proud of it. His popularity during his College years was boosted by his legendary antics that included carrying a coffin draped with the Thomian Flag around the SSC; a bold act in comparison to the era.

Following his undergraduate studies at Loughborough University, where he pursued Chemical Engineering, my Uncle returned to Sri Lanka and joined the ranks of the prestigious British American Tobacco Company. He continued to be in its employ up until the early 80s when he retired.

My uncle’s next venture was into the field of packaging and his fledgling company AMJ Industries was soon to become a notable player in the market.

Throughout his life, my uncle had a penchant for being sociable and it was commonplace for him to be fondly referred to as ‘the life of the party.’ His wellplaced sense of humour and unique personality set him apart and made life’s moments much more enjoyable and memorable.

A firm fixture at the RoyalThomian Cricket match and the Royal-Trinity Bradby Encounter, my Uncle was very much a loyal son of Royal College till his last breath.

He enjoyed his outings and one of his most firm commitments was meeting up once a week for more than a decade with the ‘tobacco crowd’ as he used to call them. They would meet to rekindle good times and in high spirits, discuss light topics such as politics, religion or current affairs with much enthusiasm.

Another of his passions was doing the rounds with his visiting friend Peter, an ardent birdwatcher and university mate from his days at Loughborough. One can only imagine Peter eagerly looking through his binoculars out into the wild, as my Uncle would pour himself a shot and enjoy the moment.

Even at family functions that were declared ‘dry’ my Uncle would be famous for his oversized ‘gadolbage’ mobile phone, that unbeknown to many housed a secret hip flask within, perfect for his occasional top ups!

Following the unexpected demise of his devoted wife Jayanthi, my uncle battled on keeping his morale up, always going the extra mile to keep in touch with his peers and friends. His talent as a chef also blossomed during this time, when he became famous for his pork knuckle amongst others, cooked to perfection in his self-titled ‘Cholesterol kitchen.’

I would like to conclude this reminiscing of the late Morgan Fernando with a joke that appeared in the 1999 book that the group of1950 and he published, entitled ‘Right Royal Rugby Jokes’:

“Farewell – When I die, I want to go like my grandfather, peacefully in his sleep at Kadugannawa. Not screaming like his passengers”. Harin Jason ‘Boycy’ Fernando