An officer and gentleman
The late Clement Alles, father of my dear friend Marie, was a gentleman for all seasons. On the many occasions I met him, I was impressed with his remarkable memory, and his ability at the drop of a hat, to relate interesting anecdotes, about his life, friends and acquaintances, including my parents.
He was a high-ranking police officer, at a time when the Police Force was much respected and regarded the true guardians of law and order. He lived till he was 100 and in his last years, lived a fulfilling life, cushioned by the love of his children and grandchildren who lavished tender, loving care on him.
He was proud of the fact that he was the oldest living old boy of St. Aloysius College, Galle. An allround sportsman, he joined the Police in 1937 and received Gallantry, Defence and Coronation medals. At his retirement, he was awarded a rare medal – a medal that only a few police officers had received -- in recognition of his unblemished record.
He was the last surviving grandson of the renowned Chevalier William Abeysundera of Galle. His father the late Dr. Francis Alles was a surgeon, and when he was posted to Colombo, Clement attended St. Joseph’s College where he excelled in sports and passed the matriculation. Even in his last years, he was able to read without glasses and remembered every minute detail of his schooldays. He was proud of his achievements in sports and often attributed his longevity to this. It would undoubtedly, also have instilled in him a sense of justice and fairplay, which stood him in good stead all his life.
He had a personal sense of refinement, good taste and sartorial dash. He was courteous, good humoured and never at a loss for words to talk on any subject. His reason for choosing a career in the Police was that he liked the uniform and the outdoor life. Life in the Police Force in those early days was tough. There were few basic amenities in rural areas in which he served, and it was a rough life, which he took with his usual good humour.
A devout Christian, who regularly visited the church, read the Bible every day and derived inspiration from the word of God, he invoked in whoever he met the memories of a vanished age. Men of such principles, who did not capitulate for the sake of expedience, are rare today. He was famed in the Police for valour and courage in the line of duty.
Control, planning and discipline are the keys to most things. Clement Alles had all this and the tenacity, bravery and determination to turn his dreams into reality. He moved through life with easy grace, splashed with a dash of disciplined bravura; a man who knew he didn’t have to impress anyone with tales of his feats.
The world is poorer with the demise of men of this calibre. To Marie, Freddie and their families, I would say, better by far to smile and be cheerful, at all that he was and his remarkable life, than to remember and be sad.
Ilica Malkanthi Karunaratne