Harrison Perera (1943 – 2024)

Death and love are the two wings that bear the good man to heaven – Michelangelo

Librarian, friend, service giver, helper at all times, perfect gentleman – that and much more was Harrison Perera. We had to say our final good bye to him this Friday: March 15, 2024, unexpectedly and with deep sorrow. Notwithstanding the mourning, what needs to be remembered and taken as consolation is that Harrison lived a good and full life, long too, since he savoured many years of retirement. Thus though we sorrow at his death, we need to celebrate his life. He lived comparatively long, very well, influencing and helping thousands of others.

The quotation above is apt for him. Death has come to him: one wing. He gave and received immense love: second wing. And he, a good man, is surely in Heaven he believed in.

Life

Harrison Perera studied at St Aloysious College, Galle. He then graduated from the University of Peradeniya where he continued as a lecturer. Married, he left for Canada and read for a degree in Library and Information Science (LIS) at the University of Ottawa. He obtained his Masters degree from the University of Ontario and worked in Canada for a couple of years.

He returned to Sri Lanka with three young daughters to settle down in his home country and give not only his services but himself to librarianship. He held prestigious positions: Librarian cum Assistant Director of the British Council, Colombo, 1986-2003, Then, Chief Librarian, University of Peradeniya. He retired from this post in 2010, but did not retire from librarianship: giving of his best not as boss of a library but as a teacher, lecturing at the Sri Lanka Library Association, National Institute of Library and Information Science, University of Colombo, and the University’s post graduate courses, and Department of Library Science, University of Kelaniya.

Harrison and the SLLA

I got to know Harrison at the Sri Lanka Library Association (SLLA) where librarians from all over Sri Lanka met at meetings: educational, institutional, regional etc, and at Council and Ex-Co meetings. He was a large person in build and presence, and outstanding in any gathering. His bonhomie was comfortingly friendly, his smile genuine and his laugh infectious. He loved a joke and a guffaw but was simultaneously very serious over work.

He diligently served the SLLA and its members plus students who were professionally educated and trained by the SLLA run course of studies, including a computer course from many decades ago. He was an excellent lecturer; knowledgeable, keeping current with developments and most understanding and encouraging to all students alike. Many were the times he and I combined to role play facts we taught like customer care and a good and bad librarian. Students laughed uproariously, mostly at Harrison’s theatrics, but they passed exams, and we believed, turned out to be good librarians taking greater care of their library clientele.

Harrison was the SLLA’s Education Officer; a long time on the Council; and its President. Two major achievements I mention here, apart from the immense help given by him to reach higher standards and maintain them both at the SLLA office and libraries island-wide. Combining with Deepali Talagala, he negotiated the acquiring of rooms at the OPA building down Stanley Wijesundera Mavata, Colombo 7, for the SLLA.

Another major project he and Upali Yapa proposed, guided and achieved was teaching and training Maldivian librarians. The SLLA ran the three year Diploma Course in LIS in Malé with Upali Yapa, Harrison and a few others travelling often to Malé. I was one of the fortunate lecturers who went very often with Upali and Harrison and often alone on lecturing assignments; which after the initial three years progressed as an outreach program. It was a wonderful experience, with Upali lending gravitas to the interaction with the Maldivian authorities and students, and Harrison infusing joy and enjoyment.

The Professional

Librarians deal with information and knowledge; they need to be widely knowledgeable and of course skillful in their handling of resources; interacting with library clients, staff, Heads. Libraries changed dramatically from being storehouses of knowledge and books to the electronic age and to being more open and socially welcoming places rather than sanctified rooms of silence and scholarly pursuit.

All these drastic changes occurred in Harrison’s time and he coped very well. He had the additional task of working for the British Council and keeping up with trends. He held his own and was pivotal in running the library efficiently. He was an approachable boss, his door open to all employees and even visitors to the library, whether in the British Council or University of Peradeniya. His ear was extra sympathetic and he felt very much for staff members if they had troubles. More importantly, he was insistent on their career development, qualifying further and progressing. Care of his staff was top priority to him.

Harrison and I became close friends along with SLLA stalwart Clodagh Nethsinghe and ultra efficient Shrianjani Jayasuriya. We did much for the betterment of librarianship in the island while enjoying social get-togethers with families.

The Family Man

Harrison’s primary focus and pivot in life was his family – much loved wife Suni (his abbreviation of her name Swineetha) – and three very beautiful daughters, Namali, Shamarie and Kumari, – the last two settled in Canada. They arrived in Colombo in the early hours of Thursday 14th. I met them at the funeral parlour a couple of hours later, the eldest having given orders for saris and blouses to wear for the funeral.

I exclaimed – Why, people wear anything now at funerals. “Thatha would not have liked us not being in sari.” Yes, Harrison was modern professionally but as a Sri Lankan national, modest and traditional. I recalled the many times he would caution me to tidy my hair at meetings and lectures.

He was devoted to his wife all through their years together but most when she succumbed to not being herself in activity and memory. He told me he slept in her room. Again my advice: you have to look after yourself and a good night’s sleep is essential. Get a carer to sleep with her at night. But no, he did not do this. He felt he had to be near her if she wanted a drink of water or felt another need. They lived close to their daughter’s home, independently.

Remembered is how enthusiastically he would share with us, his friends, every success of his three girls, their marriages and births of his grandchildren.

Friend

Harrison was almost a busybody with his friends: so much did he care for them and their well being. Their troubles became his troubles. He did not stop there. He did all he could and more to help them. As Mr Jayatissa, university lecturer and librarian told me at the funeral, Harrison was a person who was always good with his colleagues; no competitiveness, absolutely no envy; only camaraderie. I ascribe Roman Catholic Harrison with the highly prized Buddhist virtue of muditha – joy in others well being and success.

He was full of karuna and metta too. My contract with an international institution ended and I did not request renewal. I told Harrison I would be out of job soon. He got very perturbed against my complacency though my husband was then jobless. “Kella” he said, using his term of concern, “You have to get another job.” He sought openings in the library field. Mercifully for me, the Assist Director told her librarian, Harrison, the British Council needed an Education Counseling Officer. The post was advertised; I was interviewed by the Asst Director and there I was given a one year contract. Gratitude to Harrison was immense and lasted for always.

Reminded of it, he would brush it aside and give me all the kudos. “You had the qualifications and the personality.” Mousy me? I would counter, but that year helped me immensely to stay professionally active for long. Many others will have like stories to narrative.

Harrison was a truly good, upright man. He was blessed in many ways, more so in his family. Many mourn his death, a loss to the country where now good men are rare. The uppermost thought that should be in us is that our much loved and admired friend and colleague lived a happy fulfilled life. He will long be remembered and respected.

Good bye Harrison! May heaven’s gate stand open to you and may the blessings of a good life led, follow you so your soul rests in peace and in God.

Nanda P Wanasundera