He lived simply, achieving much

He was Joy to most, Tissa to many and JO to some. He was Jayampathi Opatissa Yatawara, Fellow Institute of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers – UK; Member American Society of Heating and Air-conditioning Engineers - USA. At his passing away on April 4, 2016, he was the eldest of the Yatawara clan springing from Loku Banda Yatawara of Ampitiya, Dissava of Lower Hewaheta.

Tissa was born on March 5, 1931, the eldest of four children of Dr. Jayampathi Yatawara and Mrs. Daisy Yatawara nee Dodanwela. In November 1933 Tissa accompanied his parents to the UK where his father in pursuance of his career as a medical doctor sought to and obtained further professional qualifications. The young family returned to the island in November 1934.

Tissa began his schooling in Galle at Southlands which he attended together with his maternal aunt Augusta (Bubsy) Dodanwela who was also studying there. He would oft times fondly recall those far-off days. With his father’s appointment as DMO Rakwana in 1937, Tissa was admitted to St. Thomas College as a boarder. The escalating World War, with an attack on the British Colony of Ceylon imminent, saw the school being moved to Bandarawela, and he and his younger brother Tilaka were in the pioneering batch of seven students to make the move to the new location. From there the school, staff and students were moved to its present location in Gurutalawa. His all round abilities were soon acknowledged and he was appointed head boy, a position he also held at Bandarawela.

The war ended, STC moved back to Mount, and Tissa came to the fore. He not only shone in the classroom but also excelled in the field of sport. Name the game, and he was there at the very top, both in ability and in performance. He was captain of hockey and also of soccer, vice-captain of athletics, a 3rd year coloursman in cricket, and part of the tennis, boxing and swimming teams. He played in the big matches in 1950 and 1951. And to cap it all, he was awarded the Victoria Gold Medal for best allround student and appointed head boy in 1951.

He continued as head boy in the first term of 1952 too, when he left for England to train as an Engineer at J&E Hall the leading refrigeration and air conditioning engineering solutions provider. He was the first from Ceylon in that field. On completion of his training, he was appointed an Apprentice, and quickly rose to the position of Assistant Engineer – another first for a Sri Lankan. Whilst in England, Tissa continued his cricket, playing for Dartford Cricket Club (established in 1727) in the Kent Cricket League. Here, he was involved in a 227 run stand for the sixth wicket. It is believed that the record remains unbroken. He never revealed what his contribution was!

It is not out of place, to mention that he captained both Colombo Commercial Company and CR&FC at Hockey, and was also the President of the Mercantile Hockey Association.

An abiding trait of Tissa’s was that in later life, he never spoke about these achievements unless truly pressed for a comment. When he was asked quite recently why after having scored a match-saving 38, batting at number 8 in the Royal/Thomian of 1950, he was then sent in at number 9 the next year, his reply was “I believe it was because the others were better batsmen than I was.” And he was not being facetious, he meant what he said. That was Tissa in a nutshell – modest about his many achievements, a gentleman to the core.

Tissa in fact took this a step further. He was not boastful of the achievements of his children or his grandchildren or his siblings. They collectively had many successes under their belts. He was proud of them all; he admired them, but was never one to blow the trumpet about them.

On his return to the country having successfully passed out as an Engineer, he joined Colombo Commercial Company, the leading engineering establishment of the time. Here, true to form, he rose very quickly to be Head of Division, soon taking CCC to the position of leader in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning. With the ‘nationalisation’ of the company in 1976, Tissa took his skills and knowledge to foreign lands. He worked with great success in Tehran, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore before returning to Sri Lanka in 1993. Back home, he did not completely retire, but till very recently, carried on his profession as a consultant, solving the refrigeration and air conditioning needs of leading banks and other corporates spread throughout the island.

After his “retirement”, Tissa focused all his energies on compiling a history of the Yatawara family, a search for his roots. He travelled to many parts of the country to interview long forgotten relations and long lost connections. He perused documents in archives, picked the brains of near ones in this labour of love. Sadly, he was unable to complete this, his magnum opus, his gift to posterity. However, he was content in the knowledge that the writing of the story would be completed by the next generation. He confidently stated “I am sure Ravi will take the baton from here!”

Tissa celebrated his 85th birthday on March 5 this year in the company of many of his near and dear – a surprise party organized by son Ravi. That evening he was his usual self, full of joy, wit and bonhomie. No one present at the occasion expected him to pass away in exactly a month. But that he did, in the manner in which he lived – no fuss, no drama, no trouble to anyone.

Tissa was the head of the clan. He was loved, admired and respected. He will be missed.

Newton Gerard Channa Perera, Channa to those who were near and dear was born on July 10, 1966. Dearly loved and cherished by his parents, Newton and Marie and Sadha his only sister, Channa grew up in a protective and loving environment. He received his education at St.Aloysius College, Galle and later at St Peter’s College, Colombo 4.

A keen student, Channa was also an athlete, who trained with his friends in the mornings before school and participated in the 100 and 200 metre running events at St. Peter’s College. Channa went on to study Computer Software Engineering at EDP and also became a lecturer at the same Institute at the age of 21.He then started a computer training institute with his friends in Negombo by the name of Computer Data Processing. The Institute operated for three years and eventually closed due to his friends migrating abroad. Channa, moved on to Logos Enterprises as a Computer Marketing Executive and continued to work there until ill health pre- vented him from continuing.

To his friends and loved ones, Channa was a loving and outgoing personality who always, at all times saw the best in people. He had a flair for interior décor and his bedroom was full of sleek and beautiful furniture. To his sister Sadha, Channa was the loving and protective elder brother, who took her out for movies, lunches and dinners. He was her champion of all causes and her friend and confidante during her growing up years, She still talks about “watching movies in the gallery with Aiya, when we were broke”.

He loved his mother and took her out shopping and frequented fast food outlets with her. Channa was gentle, considerate and kind and also shared a very special bond with his cousins, with whom he frequently spent time. I still remember taking the train to Kandy and Kalutara with the cousins and going to the beach. Deeply spiritual, he counted many priests among his friends and regularly attended the Music, when soft voices die, Lingers in the memory; Odour, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap’d for the belovèd’s bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.

Today marks what would have been his 50th birthday. Rest in Peace in the arms of Jesus, Channa.