email from Nalini

Here is an email I received from Pathi, 50 years ago.
Nalini

email re Pathmini's death

5.

Message from the Panchacharam Family:

"Dr. Pathmini Panchacharam passed away peacefully on Monday August 16th, 2010

around 8:40pm at home. The family is having a very, very private funeral ceremony. Please

give us some space and time to grieve and come to terms with what has happened.

We really appreciate all the support you have given us over the years. But at this time, we would like to have some time to ourselves and we hope that you will respect our wishes. Please give us a few days to unwind before you reach out to us.

Thank you"

From,

Panchacharam Family

6.

Philip,

Punch's address is Dr W Panchacharam, 89 Tennyson Drive, Nanuet, N Y 10954, U S A.

Daughter Arabi uses email sagefrog78@hotmail.com

I am not aware of Panch's email or whether he even uses one.. Will let you know if I get one. The announcement requesting a couple of weeks for the family to grieve came from Arabi's email address.

7.

Hello Ranjit and all Family members,

It is with deep regret and shock I learnt,about my dear colleague and friend's,death.I know she suffered a lot in her last few years.She was well looked after. When I last saw her,that familiar smile was there,in spite of her suffering.

Please convey our Sympathies & Condolences to Winston Annah,Viji Acca,Walter,Nandini,and the brothers,and all other members of the family.

I understand you all will want some time and space to grieve.

Regards,

Ras & Betty

emails re Pathmini's demise

Demise of Pathmini

1. 18.08.10

Sad to hear of Pathmini's demise. Our heart felt condolences to her family. I too remember her smiling and kind face.

Chitra

2. Pathi was one of my closest friends at Methodist College & we had such fun together.

During our Faculty days we used to make a dash for lunch (chatting all the way) - she to her home & I to my cousin's who lived opposite her home.

Afterwards too she was a great friend to both Daya & me.

Sadly we lost touch after she left for the States but we did have a couple of chats over the phone. I can vouch for the sentiments expressed by Chandran that she was indeed a wonderfully kind & generous person - very loving & lovable & a good friend.

Our deepest sympathies to Panch & the rest of her family.

Daya & Nalini

3.

Dear Philip ,

Please convey my deepest sympathies to Panch and his children ,i heard about her illness some time back ,it is a long suffering to reach her journeys end .

pleseant person to meet and enjoy a chat ,hope her soul rest in peace

Kind Regards.

Balakrishnan.

email from Chandra Dissanayake

Dear Philip (& Ponna),

It is very sad indeed to read about the passing away of Pathmini. She was admitted to medical college with the "direct batch" of eleven of us with me, and was in a "Group" out-of-the-alphabetical order, from the main batch, during the first two years. She was very pleasant, quiet and smiling most of the time. Please convey my deepest sympathies to "Panch" and the family (I don't have their e-mail address).

Best regards,

Chandra (Dissanayake)

Announcing the Demise of Padmini Rasasingam - Panchatcharam

Padmini had a quiet charm in her ways at the Medical Faculty.
Message was forwarded by Chandran Ponnambalam.
The heartfelt condolences of the '1960 Batch entrants' to the Medical Faculty, Colombo, go out to her family.

Sinking of the 'Titanic' - 'Nava gillath ban chune'

The 'Titanic' was proclaimed as 'unsinkable' and was the pride of British ship-building when it was launched, in the beginning of the 20th Century. On its first trans-Atlantic voyage it struck an iceberg and sank. When it was going down with passengers falling overboard, the ships band is supposed to have assembled and were playing the popular Christian Hymn, often sung at funerals, bearing the following words :-

"Though like a wanderer, the sun goes down,

Darkness lies over me, My rest a stone,

Through all my life I'll be,

Nearer my God to thee, nearer to Thee".

This was headline news throughout the world. This was the origin of the Sinhala idiom - "Nava gillath, ban chune" - "Even if the ship is sinking the band plays the tune"

email from Dawood

Dear Phillip,
There's no greater honour than to be acknowledged and valued by your own peers in your own land. I am not talking about Deshamanya's and Deshabandu's either. Your presentation was the distilled wisdom of ages. Something that our generation inherited from our elders and teachers. Yet not many of us who are still around today could have offered, such lofty ideals and values,with honesty and sincerity , to a starry eyed bunch of freshers. These could only have been the utterances of one who has lived such a life of courageous integrity with sincere dedication to one's motherland, people and vocation.Your words are most appropriate, especially, at a timewhen the winds of hope are blowing through our land. I believe that you would have touched the young hearts and minds that heard you and many of the older ones too.!! The presentation was really the essence of a life well lived as related in your books. Great Inspirational stuff!! I hope many more invitations would come your way providing further opportunities to present your example and spread your message!! I close, with deep respect and admiration for achievements honestly gathered !
Dawood