Remembering Deshamanya Professor Tony Furkhan

A year has passed since the departure of my brother, Tony Furkhan. I share and reminisce of our very fond and cherished memories in our life together. Two of us, our late brother Sapthy, who passed away at the age of sixteen, and our sister, Mashooratha, were the youngest siblings of the Thassim family.

We both started schooling at Siddhartha College Balapitiya. Then we with our sister lived with our eldest brother Mansoor at 14^th Lane Kollupitiya. During this period my brother Tony had a fall while cleaning a window in the house and for many years was limping.

When Tony moved to a boarding house at Temple Road, Maradana, I joined him.We attended Zahira College, Maradana and enjoyed wrestling. Tony left for the UK, and I followed him a year later. We both stayed together in a bedsitter at Sussex Gardens in London before moving into a three-bedroom apartment at Greencroft Gardens in Hampstead and then to a two-bedroom apartment at the Barnes in St. Margarets Surrey.

We also worked for the same group of Companies at Lipton and later at Rank Organisation in the UK. We both passed the CIMA UK examinations and shared a career as professional Management Accountants. Upon our return to Sri Lanka from the UK, both of us were employed at Walker and Sons Ltd in Colombo. We both trained CIMA students at Zahira College conducting evening classes. Both of us were also members of the Rotary Club of Colombo North

We both got married while we were in the UK.Tony had two children and three grandchildren. I have three children and nine grandchildren.Before leaving for Australia, we built the first Confifi Hotel in Beruwela. Tony then took over the Confifi Group of Hotels and constructed Riverina, Palm Garden and Eden Hotels.

In Australia, I headed CIMA pre-Branch days. Tony headed CIMA as the Branch President for CIMA NSW.I moved to Australia. My brother too joined me there. I remained in Australia while my brother returned to Sri Lanka.

Tony and I were very close to each other. He was my brother, mentor, guardian, and friend. We shared many interests like deep sea fishing and different cuisine and some of which were bread fruit and beef with bones. We also had very similar professional and family values which we cherished and practised.A year has already passed, and I miss my brother. I really miss our daily long phone calls.As my mum would say, my brother Tony and I were like two peas in a pod.

Tass (Camer) Thassim Sydney