{"id":104667,"date":"2020-07-20T16:54:32","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T23:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=104667"},"modified":"2020-07-20T16:54:32","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T23:54:32","slug":"death-of-dhanasiri-weerasinghe-funeral-oration-by-dr-ranjith-hettiarachi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/07\/20\/death-of-dhanasiri-weerasinghe-funeral-oration-by-dr-ranjith-hettiarachi\/","title":{"rendered":"Death of Dhanasiri Weerasinghe – Funeral oration by Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi delivered the Funeral Oration<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

WEERASINGHE.\n\u2014 Dhanasiri H.A.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Son of Hector and Vivien\nWeerasinghe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passed away peacefully on\nthe 7th of July 2020 at home in Melbourne surrounded by family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was best known in Sri\nLanka for his cricketing prowess as an all-rounder. He attended Ananda College,\nColombo, captaining the Ananda cricket team in 1955 and eventually being\nselected for the Ceylon Cricket Team. He captained the All Ceylon Cricket team\nin 1969. At the age of 20, he joined the Colombo police force and attained the\nrank of Inspector. During this time he married his teenage sweetheart, Chatra\nTennakoon in 1965, followed in quick succession by the birth of their 3\ndaughters. Migrating to Australia in 1974 with his family, he formed strong and\nlifelong friendships, contributing in roles such as the President of the Sri\nLanka Club for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His funeral was held on\nSaturday 11th July, 2020 in Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi delivered the Funeral Oration <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DHANASIRI\nWEERASINGHE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A FUNERAL\nORATION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THANK YOU SEPI AND THE FAMILY FOR\nINVITING ME TO DELIVER THIS TRIBUTE TO Dane\nat his funeral. SEPI ADVISED ME OF A FIVE MINUTE ORATION, BUT I MUST SAY THAT I\nWOULD NEED 5 MONTHS TO DELIVER A PROPER TRIBUTE TO DANE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IT WAS THE\nYEAR 1951. TWO HANDSOME, CHARISMATIC YOUNGSTERS DANASIRI AND HEMASIRI\nWEERASINGHE HAD WALKED INTO ANANDA COLLEGE FROM ST. JOHN\u2019S cOLLEGE, PANADURA.\nTHEY WERE WITH TIME, SHINING, OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES AT ANANDA, PARTICULARLY\nIN THE SPORTING ARENA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DANE, HAVING\nPLAYED UNDER-SIXTEEN CRICKET, IMMEDIATELY FIGURED IN THE FIRST ELEVEN CRICKET\nARENA AS A STAR ALL ROUNDER, ULTIMATELY CAPTAINING ANANDA IN 1955 AND SCORING 4\nCENTURIES IN THE SEASON. ONLY TWO YEARS BEFORE, I WATCHED HIS MATCH BAG OF 9\nWICKETS FOR 93 RUNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HE WAS SEEN\nas a member of A FEARSOME FOURSOME- CHAMPION CRICKETER DANE, CHAMPION BOXER CP(\nKAPILA\u2019S FATHER), STAR BOWLER NIMAL TAMMITA AND CHARISMATIC FLAMBOYANT\nPERSONALITY ASOKA WARUSAVITANA. REVERED MONK VENERABLE KOTAGAMA VACISSARA\nDELIVERED A THUNDERING SLAP TO ONE OF THEM ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR MISCHIEF TO\nCORRECT THEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HAVING\nENTERED THE THEN CEYLON POLICE force, HE DUTIFULLY EXCELLED AS A POLICE\nINSPECTOR, DURING WHICH TIME HE MARRIED DR CHATRA- HIS CHILDHOOD LOVE AND\nPRODUCED THREE DAUGHTERS- SEPI, TAMARA AND SURAMYA. IN THE SIXTIES HE PLAYED\nFOR BLOOMFIELD CRICKET CLUB, CAPTAINED SRI LANKA AND COACHED ANANDA CRICKET. HE\nWAS A MEMBER OF THE OUTSTANDING SRI LANKAN CRICKET TEAM, THAT COMPRISED OF\nh.i.k FERNANDO, CHANDRA SHAFFTER<\/em>, MICHAEL\nTISSERA, BUDDY REID AND SONNY YATAWARA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HE MIGRATED\nTO AUSTRALIA IN 1975 AND HERE IN MELBOURNE HIS OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY WAS\nREFLECTED IN ALL SPHERES OF PUBLIC LIFE. ANOTHER GIANT PERSONALITY FROM THE\nYESTERYEARS HIS FATHER DON HECTOR PASSED AWAY IN MELBOURNE IN THE LATE 70\u2019S. IN\nTHE 1980\u2019S HE SERVED ON THE committee OF THE THEN SRI LANKA ASSOCIATION OF\nVICTORIA AND LATER AS ITS PRESIDENT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IN 1988,\nDANE AND CHATRA BOUGHT AND DEVELOPED AN ATTRACTIVE FARM HOUSE IN TOORA\nGIPPSLAND (HAKGALA) WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF NIHAL & SRIMA DE ZOYSA, WHERE\nPUSHPA & i, VAJIRA & SONIA FERNANDO SPENT MOST ENJOYABLE AND MEMORABLE\nHOLIDAYS SEVERAL WEEK-ENDS A YEAR FOR WELL OVER 10 YEARS, AND SO DID MANY OTHER\nMELBOURNE FRIENDS\/RESIDENTS ENJOYING THE LARGE HEARTEDNESS OF DANE &\nCHATRA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AT A\nMEMORABLE EVENT IN THE YEAR 1994, I STOOD AS A YOUNGER BROTHER TO DANE &\nCHATRA, AND AS AN UNCLE TO SEPI IN CONDUCTING HER WEDDING CEREMONY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHATRA AFTER\nA LONG PERIOD OF ILLNESS PASSED AWAY IN 2004. IT WAS A TRAGIC BLOW TO DANE AND\nTHE FAMILY, BUT THEY NEVERTHELESS STOICALLY ACCEPTED HER SAD DEPARTURE AS PART\nOF THE REALITY OF LIFE AND INDEFEASIBLE IMPERMANENCE.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

i HAVE TRIED\nTO GIVE YOU HERE A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DANE OVER A 70 YEAR\nPERIOD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

dANE, SINCE\nHIS TEENS, HAD SHONE IN MANY SPHERES OF LIFE THAT INCLUDED HIS PERIOD AS AN\nEXCITING BATSMAN AND CRICKETER IN SCHOOL, AND THEN PLAYING FOR SRI LANKA, AND\nLAST NOT THE LEAST HIS ROLE AS A SRI LANKAN COMMUNITY LEADER IN MELBOURNE.\nWITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT HE DISCHARGED A CHALLENGING ROLE SPREAD OVER\nSEVERAL DECADES. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS A HIGHLY\nSOCIABLE PERSON, DANE COULD BE CONSIDERED AS HAVING HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST SOCIAL\nCIRCLES OF FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES IN MELBOURNE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HE WAS\nHONOURABLE, A MAN OF INTEGRITY, MAGNANIMOUS AND DOWN TO EARTH PERSON WHO HAS\nALWAYS REMAINED firm and UNSHAKEN BY THE PASSING CLOUDS OF THE DAY WITH A\nCAPACITY TO WEATHER THE STORM IN WHATEVER WAY IT CONFRONTed HIM. THIS IS THE\nCONSIDERED VIEW OF ALL THOSE WHO HAD KNOWN HIM CLOSELY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS A\nCRICKETER, HE WAS A STYLISH, ELEGANT AND RELIABLY CONSISTENT PLAYER AT ALL\nLEVELS OF THE GAME.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AS A FATHER,\n  HE WAS MUCH LOVED AND ADORED BY HIS DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HIS STATE OF\nMIND, IN SPITE OF THE UNRELENTING PAINFUL AILMENTS WAS IMPECCABLE AT ALL TIMES,\nMEMORY AND MINDFULNESS FLAWLESS AND PERFECT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WE REMEMBER\nHIM AS AN ILLUSTRIOUS AND HIGHLY VALUED SRI LANKAN BORN PERSONALITY WITH\nOUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN CRICKET, AN UNTARNISHED REPUTATION IN PUBLIC LIFE\nAND AS A DISTINGUISHED AND RESPECTED MEMBER OF THE SRI LANKAN COMMUNITY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DANE, WAS A\nDEVOUT BUDDHIST, WHO SOUGHT REFUGE IN THE BUDDHA, DHAMMA AND THE SANGHA. HE\nWALKED TO THE BATTING CREASE, RECITING \/CHANTING THE STANZA \u2018ITI  PI \nSO  BHAGAVA\u2019 (THE NINE ATTRIBUTES) OF THE BUDDHA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAY HIS\nSANSARIC JOURNEY BE SHORT AT THE END OF WHICH HE WILL ACHIEVE THE BLISS OF\nNIRVANA LIBERATING HIM FROM THE Mortal COIL of PAIN and SUFFERiNG. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THANK YOU,\nLADIES AND GENTLEMEN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. RANJITH\nHETTIARACHI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melbourne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 11,\n2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi delivered the Funeral Oration WEERASINGHE. \u2014 Dhanasiri H.A. Son of Hector and Vivien Weerasinghe. Passed away peacefully on the 7th of July 2020 at home in Melbourne surrounded by family. He was best known in Sri Lanka for his cricketing prowess as an all-rounder. He attended Ananda College, Colombo, captaining the Ananda […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104667\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}