Those halcyon days in Maha-Illuppallama
Ajith, my older brother, was born on April 28, 1949 and passed away unexpectedly on October 26, 2023. We were all deeply shocked and saddened by his untimely demise. No one ever imagined he would pass on before celebrating his 75th birthday which would have been today – April 28, 2024.
Ajith distinguished himself at school by captaining the first XV rugby teams of 1967 and 1968 and winning both the Rugby Lion and the Ryde Gold Medal – the two top awards at Trinity College.The 1967 Trinity rugby team is revered for having won all of its matches. Ajith also excelled in cricket. A genuine all-rounder, in 1968 he scored the fastest century in the history of the Trinity-Royal schools match encounter.
I am three years younger than Ajith and we grew up in Maha-Illuppallama
(MI) where the country’s leading
Dry Zone agricultural research station is located. It was headed by our dad, the late Dr Ernest Abeyratne, a pioneering agricultural scientist who had expert knowledge of rainfed farming systems. At MI, Ajith and I led a carefree, idyllic existence. We were then in boarding school and would wait to come home for the school holidays.
After our sister, Visaka, was born the twosome became a threesome. We taught her to fish, swim, ride the bicycle, run races, and climb trees! Going with our parents on a picnic to Kalawewa was the highlight of our school holidays. Our youngest sibling, Harsha, was born in January 1964. There was a change of government in 1965 and my dad was transferred to Colombo. So Harsha missed out on those halcyon days in MI.
At school my older brother displayed strong leadership qualities which he continued to exercise in his working life. An ardent Christian, he was Senior Pastor at Calvary Church, Mirihana for 34 years until his demise. His life was dedicated to the congregation of this church. In 1981 he established a successful steel trading company called Metal and General Trades Ceylon Ltd which was one of the pioneering agents for importing steel products from South Africa. Ajith was married to Lohini, his devoted wife, for 50 years. They have three children, Surovi, Kishen and Vashni, and four grandchildren, Mishaal, Tameem, Tahlisa and Araen, all of whom he loved dearly.
Ajith played rugby for and coached the CR&FC as well as the national team. A born leader, he was head of selectors and national coach from 1985 to 1988. He was also a top rugby commentator and served in a technical advisory capacity at the national level for many years. He was made a life member of the CR a few years before his death.
Ajith was a kind, sincere and affable human being with a just and generous heart and fine sense of humour. At his funeral service held in Mirihana on October 28, 2023 the church was packed to capacity and there was a massive outpouring of grief. May he find peace, tranquility and eternal bliss in his after-life.