Cherished memories of old Ceylon and renewed friendships Down Under

Few in Sri Lanka today may know of people who passed away recently who were much part of society long ago. And yet those still left who remember have the urge to leave a public record, as tribute.

Walter May of Perth, Western Australia and of Ceylon till the 1960s, died peacefully a couple of weeks ago, in his 90th year. After a variegated childhood and fine records at Trinity College Kandy and S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia he graduated with honours in History from the University of Ceylon with also an outstanding record as a national track athlete.

He reached the ideal conveyed in the poetic expression, “The Paragon of Animals” for by birth and upbringing he was gentle, dispossessed of envy, anger or harshness.

My wife and I came to be friends with his family when I joined the Royal Ceylon Air Force where “Wally” was well established. We lived as neighbours at the Katunayake base, and came to know his wife Anne who died over a year ago. Also, his daughter Heather and little son David. In those years the Air Force was all air and no force, so we had a leisured time weaving together long- lasting social material. One that lasted long, right into Australia was “Hounderanayagams”. Possibly because of Wally’s European parentage some tongue twisting Ceylon names he adjusted for ease and harmless fun. There was a family of Sounderanayagams in the vicinity. “Hounderanayagams” is what he affectionately called them.

We saw much of his family in Australia both in Sydney where we lived and in his home town of Perth, and whenever we met his greeting was, “Ah! So how are the Hounderanayagams!” It had turned generic for “friend”.

Walter May was a gentle human. Bless him and Anne. The mystic imagination sees them lovingly together again.