Final rites of Srima Dissanayake tomorrow

Gamini and Srima were icons of a generation, says Sajith

The final rites of Srima Dissanayake, wife of the late Minister Gamini Dissanayake, will take place tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Borella General Cemetery.

Her remains are presently lying at No.6/1, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7. The Cortege will leave residence at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Mrs Dissanayake passed away at a private hospital in Colombo on Friday. She was 77 years of age at the time of her death.

She was the loving mother of sons Minister Navin Dissanayake, MP Mayantha Dissanayake and daughter Varuni Dissanayake.

A Lawyer by profession, Mrs Dissanayake was also a former member of the Central Provincial Council.

She became the UNP candidate for the 1994 Presidential Election, following the assassination of her husband by the LTTE, just 16 days before the election.

Thereafter, she moved out of politics to focus on her children, continuing her husband’s legacy through the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation and building a Vocational Training Institute, which provided training in subjects such as English and Computing to thousands of youths over the years.

Issuing a condolence message, UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa praised Mrs Dissanayake as a national hero, who gave leadership to the UNP in what was then its darkest hour, and then ensured her husband’s legacy lived on through her many acts of social service. “Gamini and Srima Dissanayake were icons of a generation, gifted professionals who dedicated their lives to serving our country and especially those less fortunate,” he noted, extending his deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the Dissanayake family.