An eminent lawyer and amiable personality
October 8 this year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of the late S.D. Percy Valentine, President’s Counsel. Percy was a wonderful personality who moved in all echelons of professions but never lost the common touch. He was the undisputed live-wire and strength in our family circle. His demise created an irreplaceable vacuum in our family.
Percy was the eldest son of the late S.D.R. Valentine, a proctor and notary, and of the late Flora Valentine of Weligampitiya, Ja-ela.
He was a distinguished product of De Mazenod College, Kandana. At De Mazenod, he excelled in studies, sports and extracurricular activities. He was a member of the tutorial staff of De Mazenod for a brief period, before he entered the University of Ceylon’s law faculty. After obtaining his LL.B degree, he entered the Law College of Ceylon and passed out as an advocate in 1961. He served his apprenticeship in the chambers of the late A.H.C De Silva, Queen’s Counsel.
Percy had an amiable personality with a charming smile that would entice even a stranger. He always had a good sense of humour and was a great orator. He became a renowned lawyer having a lucrative practice in criminal, civil and industrial law in the original and appellate courts islandwide.
An extraordinarily skilful lawyer, he excelled in his court craft and gained much recognition and respect among judges, his peers and clients. Members of the profession and the judiciary
This is a tribute to St. Joseph’s College, Colombo Vice Rector (1948-1965) on his 110th birth anniversary, to give him the due honour and respect for the humble and valuable services rendered to the college and our great nation, Sri Lanka. He was born on Sept. 28 1907.
Once the sound of the bell is heard one could see Fr. Margesz or better known as our dear Vice Rector, moving along from corridor to corridor and from class to class of St Joseph’s College with a box of chalk in one hand and a black board duster in the other.
The classes are quiet when always had the highest respect and regard for him.
Percy was an able crossexaminer. Meticulous thoroughness in everything he did was the key to his professional success. He studied his briefs with great care and espoused the cause of his client with dedication. He left no stone unturned in his client’s interests and the time he spent on a case had no relevance to the fee he received. On many occasions, for clients in distress, he had offered his services free of charge.
Several young lawyers had the benefit of working in his chambers. His juniors were enriched by their association with him. The present Chief Justice Priyasath Dep was also his apprentice and junior.
His professional interest went beyond the practice of law. He was a member of the Bar Council and a vice president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) for many years. He also served in many committees. He also took an immense interest in the legal education programmes of the BASL. He was a past President of the Medico-Legal Society of Negombo and also the Lions Club of Kandana-Jaela.
Percy contributed much of his leisure time and resources to his alma mater and served the Old Boys Union for a number of years and as its Vice President for a considerable period.
Percy was a devout Catholic. His deep- there are teachers in them and noisy when there aren’t any. One such day our class was noisy. So Fr. Margesz walked in and asked us: “Who is supposed to be the teacher here today? Why is he not here?” The third question would normally be, “What is the subject to be taught in this period today?”
Whether we say physics, chemistry, algebra, geometry, arithmetic, statics, dynamics, trigonometry, botany or zoology, Fr. Margesz would ask us, “Where did you boys stop at the last class you had?” He would then walk up to the blackboard, keep his box of chalk on the ly rooted Christianity was the strength and vigour of his life. He lived his Christianity to the very best of his warm and generous heart.
He was greatly influenced by Christian values which probably motivated him to revive the Red Mass for Catholic Lawyers in Negombo.
Percy married my sister Sita in 1964 and it was a marriage made to measure with the grace of God. They were a perfect couple. Sita stood by him through thick and thin until the last day of his life, nursing him when he was terminally ill for a brief period. Sita was a perfect housewife who maintained a beautiful and happy home. Percy was a great host who lavishly entertained his friends, relatives and professional colleagues at home and my sister Sita responded ungrudgingly doing all the household work in an admirable manner. One such occasion was the annual feast of St. Anne’s Church, Weligampitiya where the number of guests was unlimited.
Percy was a loving husband to Sita and a devoted father to his children Varuna and Indrajith. Notwithstanding his busy practice and the other related work, he always had time for his family.
Percy took great pride that his two sons Varuna and Indrajith emulated his professional footsteps and entered the legal profession. desk and continue from where we had stopped.
Fr. Margesz was so keen on our education that he took every step to teach any of the subjects to get the class going. Not everybody could change from subject to subject like one could change from channel to channel on a television set, just as he had it all well programmed not only in his head but also in his heart. We believe that this was Fr. Vice Rector’s God-given talent for a dedicated service. As a result of his efforts, today we see that every student who had learnt in his classes is serving the country
In recognition of his professional eminence, he was appointed a President’s Counsel in 1991 and continued a lucrative practice in all spheres of the law until his demise on October 8, 1997.
At a ceremonial sitting which was held in the Supreme Court after his death former Chief Justice G.P.S.De Silva, referred to him as follows:
“He was essentially a family man, despite his professional commitments. His one concern was the welfare of his children. He lived to see both his sons enter the legal profession, and this indeed would have been source of great joy and satisfaction. The warmth of his hospitality was ever present in his home at Ja-Ela. His life and work are epitomised in an oft quoted line from Horace: “Integer viatescelerisquepurus”. (The man of upright life, unstained by guilt).
Time will take away the edge of grief but memory turns back every page, every leaf, and I thank God that I have such wonderful memories of Percy. It is indeed a great privilege and deep joy for me for knowing and closely associating with such a wonderful personality.
Percy will always be in our hearts and minds in our lifetimes.
I wish to encapsulate this appreciation by quoting from Shakespeare: “His life was gentle, gracious and elegant that the forces of nature may stand-up and say ‘This was a Man’.”
May his gentle soul rest in the peace of the Lord! Camillus R. Abeygoonewardena and the people in the fields of engineering, medicine, law, in the armed forces, politics, the church ministry and the media.
When he was in class teaching geometry, the triangles, circles or cyclicquadrilaterals drawn on the blackboard and his Sinhala letters written on the blackboard for certain explanations were like computer printed stuff because Fr. Margesz was an excellent artist.
May the students of St. Joseph’s College, both the young and the old who learnt under, knew or came to know of Fr. Margesz and experienced the depth of his great services, always remember this missionary priest as one who helped us greatly to fit right into the path of knowledge and virtue -- in scientia et virtute.
Written with the help of the clerics and altar boys of my University Entrance class of 1964/65 under FrMargesz our Vice Rector. They are Fr. Leo Perera, Fr. Clement Waidyasekera, Fr. Nihal Nanayakkara, Fr. Joe Anthonypillai, SJ., Fr. Mervyn Perera, Romesh de Silva, PC, G.M. Suresh Britto. Chap. R R W F Pereira
I first came to know Indrani as a schoolmate at Visakha Vidyalaya and thereafter, we were close friends for more than 60 years. Having got the top rank at the final examination at the Government Training College in Maharagama in 1963, she became a physics teacher at Visakha during its golden era under S.G. Pulimood. A little later, I too joined the staff as a chemistry teacher and we both lived in the school hostel as the youngest resident teachers.
Our enthusiasm to give the best to our students knew no bounds and the results were excellent. At all times, we were available after school for any additional work in the school office or hostel, allocated by Mrs. Pulimood. It was a pleasure. Our duties at the golden jubilee celebrations of the school held at the Racecourse brought great joy. It was almost dawn by the time we were dropped back at the hostel by Mrs. Pulimood herself.
Indrani’s brilliant students at the time, to name a few, were Professor Anula Wijesundera (nee Samaranayake), the late Professor Malkanthi Balasuriya and Dr. Savithri Wijemanne who still remember her with much gratitude and affection.
After her spell at Visakha, being the only child, she was forced to transfer to her hometown Horana to be with her ageing mother, where her marriage to Leslie Senanayake also took place. She continued her services at Sri Palee College Horana with great dedication. Thereafter, it is strange that we both came to reside in the same neighbourhood after her early retirement where she devoted all her time for numerous meritorious activities which were greatly supported by her husband. They donated their residence at Maharagama to the Dhammadeepa Foundation which is well utilised under the guidance of the Most Venerable Thalalle Chandakiththi Thera.
Indrani was involved in various religious activities organised by the Narada Centre in Colombo 7, the Dharmayathanaya and Mahamegharamaya at Maharagama. She also travelled widely with her husband visiting friends and relatives and also on pilgrimages overseas.
Her sudden illness one and half years prior to her passing away on July 3, 2017 was a great shock to me and many others. Even though she was handicapped during the period, the attention and tender care rendered by her husband was admirable. He left no stone unturned where treatment was concerned and her cousin Damayanthi was a pillar of support at all times. The Ven. Chandakiththi Thera, while having his own disability, never failed to see and bless her frequently during this period of illness. This, I am sure, would have given her great solace.
Indrani, in any emergency or illness, day or night, you were always there by me and I miss your company very much.May all the merit you accrued during your lifetime, help you attain the supreme bliss of nibbana in the shortest possible time. Rukmani Raddalgoda (nee Seneviratne)