Gifted musician and kind and caring uncle

The symphony orchestra of Heaven wanted a bassist, so they called my uncle Anthony Leitan on March 14, 1971 to join it, leaving us in shock and grief.

He was a member of the Colombo Orchestra, the forerunner of the present Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL) playing under the baton of the late Douglas Ferdinand, Hussein Mohamed and Dr. Earle de Fonseka. His musical versatility was such that he was equally at home with the music of the great classical composers or playing with Saschas Melodists in the Mascarilla Night Club of the Galle Face Hotel, or doing film music with Pandit Khemadasa.

He must be watching with pride as his granddaughter Andrea goes on stage with the SOSL, his beloved double bass in her talented hands.

His family and music were his only loves but his generous heart took in the six of us, children of his wife’s sister, treating us like his own.

The bond he fostered thus is still strong even though we are nearing or past the three score and ten of the Bible.

He was not a brother-in-law but a father figure to my parents and with deep nostalgia, I recall the love and peace my aunt and uncle shared with him. Never was there any discord.

My impulsiveness, quick temper and bossy nature were gently admonished with a softly said, “Dolly, remember you are not God.”

We only knew of his generosity to poor widows, orphans and the less fortunate when they turned up to pay their last respects to him for he firmly believed that “your left hand should not know what your right hand gave.”

So darling uncle, till the broken links of our earthly chain are fixed again in heaven, this is Dolly (the name you called me at my birth) with a firm conviction that God has you in his keeping and we have you in our hearts.