He was an institution at the University of Moratuwa

Singarayer Pathinather was an institution at the University of Moratuwa (UoM), particularly in the Civil Engineering Department, which was his academic home for so much of his life. This was partly due to his being a link between Moratuwa’s eventual university status and its early roots in the Institute of Practical Technology, Katubedda (IPTK).

Pathi, as he was known to many of us, was a graduate of and teacher at the IPTK; but one who gradually but steadily improved his academic standing to become a university senior lecturer. This involved a diploma in sanitary engineering at IHEE Delft in the Netherlands and an MPhil degree in wastewater treatment at Moratuwa itself. He also played a major role, as a junior colleague of Professor Dayantha Wijeyesekera, in the initiation of the IHEE/UoM collaboration on postgraduate courses, which was a landmark for postgraduate education at UoM. This path of self-improvement displayed his determination and commitment to hard work, building of course on the intellectual skills he possessed in no small measure. He was an example to all of us, and no doubt to his children.

Mr Pathinather was extremely accessible to those of us who were his younger colleagues. And to many of us, his former students, who eventually became ‘doctors’ and professors, he graciously displayed deference. But much greater was the deference we reciprocated because, to contextualize a Biblical reference, he was a Sri Lankan in whom there was no guile – a rare breed indeed. He did not have any trace of pretence and was honest to a fault. He also bore with equanimity the occasional bureaucratic blunder that inevitably visits a long career – one of which was a delayed salary payment in the month of Christmas! In fact, such mishaps became grist for his raconteurial mill at the academic staff lunch table. Anecdotes concerning horses flying and snakes taking responsibility at survey camps were some of the other tales he regaled us with.

When the history of the Moratuwa University was being compiled at its Silver Jubilee in 1997, Mr Pathinather was entrusted the task of compiling the statistics, involving both staff and graduate lists. He had a phenomenal memory and paid great attention to detail. Some of us experienced this memory firsthand even after his post-retirement emigration to Canada to live with his daughter – through the birthday wishes he sent us via email.

Pathi’s was a life well lived, amidst its various vicissitudes. He experienced the tumultuous times of July 1983 in the heart of Moratuwa, being assured by his neighbours that they would look after him and his family. He was devastated by the loss of his wife when his children were still in school; but then brought them up single handed and saw them established in life – a daughter in Canada and a son working in Dubai; and no less than six grandchildren.

On one occasion, he was heartbroken at the loss of his pet dog. Such was the respect and love he commanded from his colleagues, that one of them, the late Professor Charles Senarath, drove him through the streets of Moratuwa in search of the canine – who was eventually found.

All of us at Moratuwa University were the poorer when Pathi retired from university life; and later migrated to Canada. No doubt he enriched the lives of those he encountered in Toronto – not least the members of his family. He has now taken leave of life itself – something that all of us have to do; but he has left so much of himself behind. His colleagues at the University of Moratuwa