Academic who thought out of the box

The demise of this most gracious lady left most of us in Kandy, more specifically, the Faculty of Medicine at Peradeniya, with a singular sense of loss. She not only was an academic par excellence, but imbibed as she was of eastern culture, gave the medical school values that many generations of doctors, from this institute fondly remember and treasure.

Our paths crossed in 1963 -me, a medical student and she, a junior lecturer in Anatomy of a fledgling faculty, seeking a brand name. Her husband, Professor Tommy Wikramanayake had come earlier in 1962 as a founder member of the Department of Medical Biochemistry. The two, in time, were to commit of their time and energy to uplift the basic science departments of the faculty they had come to love to heights they have now come to hold, being some of the best in the country.

A distinguished product of Girls’ High School, Kandy, a Miss Jayasekera from close to Peradeniya, she was a scion of a professional family, with a brother who also taught us and several reputed doctors among her immediate family members.

In 1968 she trained in Edinburgh in genetics for her PhD and on her return she was helped by Prof. Senake Bibile, the Dean at the time to research into the genetics of our Veddha population. The trips into the interior, with medical students must have been both educative and enjoyable.

Under the strong tutelage of Professors Lester Jayawardene and ‘Jacko’ Jayatilleke, both giants in the field of human anatomy, she blossomed to become both an anatomist and an administrator. The Anatomy Department where a motley set of schoolboys and schoolgirls, entered with each annual intake, was always trusted by the clinical teachers, to convert them to be a disciplined group, worthy of being taught as nascent doctors.

Accustomed to think outside the box, she arranged a morning meditation class on mindfulness to all who wished to join. These were very popular and perhaps gave a boost to the cognitive standards of the students. She would insist the girl medicos be properly dressed. Saree or dress, not trousers and t’shirts, was what ‘word of mouth’ had it, and was duly fulfilled by one and all out of sheer respect.

With the inauguration of the Faculty of Medicine in Galle in 1978, Prof Tommy Wikramanayake who was a member of an illustrious Southern clan, left to become its Founder Dean. As our luck would have it, Eugene stayed on, bearing the trials and tribulations of that period.

Accorded many an honour, she was the President of the Kandy Society of Medicine (KSM), and was bestowed the Honorary Fellowship of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka for her comprehensive help as an examiner with the Primary Fellowship exam of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the local Master of Surgery exam.

Even in retirement, she would trek, sometimes by public transport, for most Faculty events and those of the KSM. During Scientific Sessions, she would slip into the audience and ask penetrative questions on whatever the subject that was being discussed, often needing a global understanding by the presenter, to give an intelligible answer. Such was her prowess, many a presenter would literally ‘quake in his/her boots’ when they spied her coming.

On a personal note, she came to regularly to cheer me up when my paralysed limbs were being coaxed by physios in Colombo General, after a major stroke some years ago. Apparently, this was in her nature. Deeply aware of the Buddha’s preachings, her life personified the essence of the philosophy.

Her husband predeceased her. She leaves behind children all doing well. May her Sansara be light and short.