Elmo de Silva – an appreciation

It is now three months since Elmo de Silva passed away. He was a regular contributor to the country’s newspapers. Nearly a year ago his autobiography, “A journey through Thorns and Roses” was reviewed in the Sunday Island of 31st. January, 2021, by the well-known reputed reviewer Leelananda de Silva, his contemporary at the Peradeniya University, under the rubric “A Golden age in Public Administration” dedicated to his beloved wife, Naomi. who predeceased him. I had the privilege of editing it partially.

Elmo was my contemporary too at Ramanathan Hall where I came to know him better. He entered the University from St Benedicts’ College, Kotahena. with two others, one of whom entered the Medical College. This student, Oswald Fernando, became a famous Kidney Surgeon in the UK. Elmo followed a special degree course in Geography and rounded it off with a second Class. Soon, thereafter, after a brief spell in teaching, he joined the public service as an Administrative Officer in the Department of Agriculture and served in Matara where both of us were fellow boarders in a very congenial and hospitable home, situated by the beach in the Matara Fort.

He left Matara on being appointed as a District Land Officer. Thereafter, I hardly met him till after retirement when we met at sing-song reunion parties, organised by the Hall societies. Though both of us had retired from the regular public service we continued to work for the public service. Elmo worked as a Consultant for the Treasury on matters related to Customs classification of imported goods, etc. He had worked in both the Departments of Import and Export Control and the Customs at a senior level. Due to his experience in the latter he received an appointment in the World Customs Organisation at Brussels, which he served for five years.Upon his return, he retired from the SL Administrative Service but was employed as a Consultant. He then joined the private sector as a full-time employee. He contrasts the work ethic of the private sector with that of the public sector in his autobiography.

Elmo had an aptitude for singing both English and Sinhala songs which was amply manifested at the Hall reunions and at X’mas parties when the late Rev. Fr.Derrick Mendis used to accompany him on the piano. A famous song, describing the qualities of a Kandyan beauty, an imaginary heartthrob of many an undergrad beginning with the words ‘Menike lassanai ;..” is quoted in full in his auto biography. So was also his competence in writing poems, the lines of which would end in rhyme. He did not like poems which did not rhyme, that is free verse written non metrically without rhyme and rhythm.

Towards the end of November last year, he suffered from a multitude of ailments following bypass surgery about 10 years ago which finally led to organ failure. His daughter Suleka and son-in-law Parakrama( both being Chemists with Post graduate qualifications) looked after him well in his last days. The younger daughter Sonali living in Australia with her doctor husband contributed no less in attending to his needs as well. Elmo was 88-years-old at the time of death.

May he Rest In Peace!

Leo Fernando

Pitipana, Negombo