Our treasured teacher dedicated his whole life to Sri Palee. My mind goes back to the early 1950’s and we saw him as an expert teaching English. He showed his extra ordinary skills in English Communication and had a reference beyond Sri Palee. He was a product from the University of Peradeniya. He was a universal well-wisher for anyone. Everyone called him “Lovable Sabaha” and was a friend for all in and around in the Horana scene. People knew him as “Sinhala Demala Mahaththaya”. He was more of a Sinhala oriented person than his Tamil inheritance.
The teaching fraternity knew him as a unique personality. Students of Sri Palee appreciated him as a teacher, motivator and mentor. He referred to all students by their pet name and was always with free and had a hearty laugh. His lifestyle was uniquely different to many others.
In an article about Sri Palee his name should be remembered for his contribution to Sri Palee as a figurehead. Every Principal who served Sri Palee during the period he was teaching, loved him for his focused 24 hour attention for Sri Palee.
In his retired life he was at Balangoda. He invited any one passing Balangoda to drop in and see him. All of us remember him today for his personal and loving touch.