Yasmine & Devika
Our husband and father, Brendon Gooneratne, passed away in 2021. He had had a fall on June 12th and was recovering in a hospital close to home, with excellent care and medical attention. We had been upcountry for 18 months, due to the ongoing pandemic situation. Unvaccinated as yet, we felt my parents would be safest out of the population density and congestion of Colombo.
Since March 2020, our family had a wonderful experience of lockdown, with the news on the television or via the internet being the only intrusion. I had not spent so much time with the family for years, due to work commitments in Australia and in Sri Lanka.
It was fabulous: sitting on the verandah in the mornings and evenings, growing the herb garden so that the pasta sauces he loved would have fresh basil and oregano in them, sourcing home-baked bread rolls from Colombo to have with our soup, chatting about books we loved, taking out board games, watching old movies, listening to music from the 1950s, remembering past travels, discussing the crazed antics of Donald Trump, sighting Lotan sunbirds in the garden via the iridescent flash of their wings.
These days were blessed. Radiant sunrises and soft twilights and dusks. The year turning towards summer. At the start of lockdown, I was missing travelling and the adventures of traversing physical landscapes in the world. A year and a half into lockdown, I set these adventures and my desires for them aside, to a point somewhere in the future. Human beings are adaptable and resilient. That’s why we have survived so well, as a species.
My father recovered well from the surgery, and we were looking forward to him coming home to us. Unfortunately, an infection developed in his lungs late in the second week of June, and quickly spread systemically, so fast that it could not be stopped.
On Father’s Day, 2021, we saw him in life for the last time. We spoke to him, said everything we wanted to say, and held his hands.
He was a great friend to all of us and a tremendous encourager in the challenges of life. Once, at a terrible time in my own life, I felt like giving up after a series of back-to-back calamities immediately following the loss of someone I dearly loved. My Father did not tell me to get over it or count my blessings. He said, ‘It’s true that you have had a lot to contend with lately. But you know, you haven’t yet seen the range of experiences life offers us all. Life brings us a wealth of opportunities. Don’t make a decision on insufficient information. Life goes in cycles, and this period will pass and good will come. Hold on, and keep going, if you can. We will give you all our support. It’s worth it, believe me.’
As a family, we have a million memories of things we did together, with concerts and films, jungle trips and whale watching. The early morning rounds to watch animals, drinking hot tea made with condensed milk before sunrise, star gazing and the smell of kerosene lamps at night, the sunrises on the East Coast, the visiting of caves and ancient sites, the viewing of the fireworks on my birthday. The slightly clumsy parcel wrapping of our birthday gifts, and the huge cards to express his big love.
Brendon Gooneratne was interested in so many things that he was fascinating to talk to. For the last 18 months in lockdown, we had a wonderful companion to share movies music and political discussions. We enjoyed cooking him some of his favourite foods, from his student days in England. He loved Italy, and Italian cuisine, and was very sad when the kind and genial proprietor of Dolce Italia, Colombo, passed away recently.
He was a physician, a writer of several books, a renowned cricketer as a young man, and a wildlife and conservation activist. He wrote his personal memoirs in 2016, and this book, titled ‘The Good, The Bad and The Different’, details some of the interesting life experiences he had: his extensive travels, the personal lessons learned in his professional life, his enthusiasm for history, archaeology and the natural world, the lively opinions he had of the people he encountered.
Most people live a life defined by their professional vocation. Indeed, life is such that there is little time for us to actively pursue or engage in anything other than practise the profession in which we operate. But my Father was able to engage in multiple spheres of professional activity and follow and fulfil a number of interests throughout his life.
When Brendon Gooneratne passed away at the age of 83, he left behind a treasure trove of books and journals that had been his lifelong companions. His journey as a book collector began during his school days in Colombo, and he continued to nurture this passion throughout his remarkable life. His love for reading was a legacy he shared with his wife and both of his children and over the years, we, too, developed our own personal libraries.
Now, we, his widow and daughter, are embarking on an endeavour in his memory – the creation of the Gooneratne Memorial Library (GML) in Haputale, Sri Lanka. This library brings together the literary treasures of four individuals: Dr Gooneratne himself, the academic library of Professor Yasmine Gooneratne, rich with works of Commonwealth Literature, the collection of myths and legends and classic fantasy and science fiction of our late son/brother Channa Gooneratne, and the 18th-century satiric prose and extensive modern poetry collection of our daughter/sister, Dr Devika Gooneratne. Situated within the serene surroundings of our family’s hill country home, the GML is a tribute to our family’s enduring love for books.
Our family has had the privilege of living and travelling in various parts of the world, which is reflected in the GML’s special collections. These collections include materials from India, Australia, and Britain, in addition to a wealth of resources related to Sri Lanka’s history, wildlife, cricket, and athletics, all of which held a special place in Dr Brendon Gooneratne’s heart. While he was not a creative writer himself, he deeply appreciated and enjoyed the imaginative works of others, both contemporary and classic.
The GML is not merely a library but a sanctuary for reading and research. Our doors are open by appointment to all who seek knowledge, and we provide a serene and conducive environment for quiet reading and intellectual exploration. The library does not lend books but offers reading access to them free of charge to readers, students and scholars. It has been established primarily for the people of the Uva District, to complement the resources provided by the district’s schools and universities.
Located within what was once a tea plantation, the GML is surrounded by manicured lawns and a cultivated garden. Its windows reveal wonderful views of Sri Lanka’s stunning mountain landscapes. The trees surrounding the estate are home to diverse wildlife, from colourful birds to playful monkeys. The entire area is a haven for naturalists.
The Gooneratne Memorial Library is a testament to our family’s enduring love for literature and a tribute to the patriarch of our family and his remarkable life. It stands as a place of knowledge, reflection, and appreciation for the world of books, open to all who seek the joys of reading and the wonders of exploration of the world in which we live.
