Unjustifiable enrichment he did abhor M.S.M.T. Samaratunga (Sam)

Sam the pre-eminent Tax Consultant is no more,

his enlightened spirit has gone through Heavens door, to enjoy eternal life with the Creator, and join the Angels in singing God’s praises forever

Born and rooted in a Buddhist environment, he would have been familiar with the seven factors of enlightenment, that ranged from mindfulness to equanimity, from the time of his conscious earthly activity

To give his active mind great scope, he entered the University of Ceylon with hope, and read for a special Maths degree, in the Maths Department of that University Armed with a Maths Honours Degree, he was selected by the P.S.C., to be an Assistant Assessor of I.R.D., where he served till his premature retirement, with distinction and integrity After his retirement, he practised as a Tax Consultant, his submissions were laced with case law, that baffled,

many an opposing counsel as they were appropriate and without flaw

From youth a voracious reader, whose mind could comprehend the thoughts of many a philosopher and religious leader, he became a left of Centre Human Rights Activist,

and in the Inland Revenue a leading trade unionist

As a healthy mind requires a healthy body, he played tennis and walked daily, his mind was made serene by the love and affection bestowed on him by Nalini, his wife for 60+ years,

and the professional and academic achievement - of Arjuna, Nelum, Shavindra, Andy, F.I.L. of Renuka and Ajith - during those joyful years

As a genuine socialist to the core, unjustifiable enrichment he did abhor To the lure of filthy lucre he didn’t fall prey, ‘cause when wealth accumulates men-decay Goodbye my dear friend, though your mortal life has come to an end, the footprints you have left behind in the sands of time,

will be remembered by your family and friends during their lifetime