In Felicitation of Vincent Goonawardena -A Teacher Extraordinary at Richmond, Galle-by Nihal De Alwis
Source:Thuppahis
MR VINCENT GOONAWARDENA PATRON OF THE RICHMOND 60-CLUB (2024) ON YOUR BIRTHDAY Of SUNDAY THE 27th OCTOBER….
Dear Sir, It is with a heavy heart that I decided to express a few words in gratitude towards you as one of the few, or maybe the only, surviving teacher of my batch at RICHMOND COLLEGE. It has been a long time since we had a teacher of your repute who has been perpetually dedicated and committed at RICHMOND. You were of the class of our Late Mr E.R. De Silva (the first Sri Lankan to succeed the missionaries), and of the teachers of the calibre of Shelton Wirasinghe, Revd Shelton De Silva, Dunstan Fernando, A. Ariyaratnam, J.H. Gunasekera, & S Manawadu….. And few others whom I cannot recollect.
You all were a “CLASS OF YOUR OWN”. Perhaps we were very fortunate to be blessed with such teachers.
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It was later in my life I realized that we were related, and you insisted that I call you by your Christian name “VINCENT” which I as a member from a disciplined family declined to address you in that manner. The dedication and commitment as a teacher and later as an Old “Richmondite” of the “60” Club you played a vital role in various capacities along with your very close friend BK in printing the “SILVER JUBILEE” magazine which gave a fair glimpse of the beginnings of the Club and its history which most of the existing members & exco members are not aware.
Sir You have certainly lived up to the “SCHOOL MOTTO”—“NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA” (Psalm127” ….. UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE THOSE WHO BUILD LABOUR IN VAIN “. You have had implicit trust in the living God and that has given you many blessings including “CONTENTMENT “which is a rare quality in most of us.
There are people who have changed our lives without realizing the impact they have made and “YOU ARE “one of them.
We members of the RICHMOND 60 CLUB are grateful the way you have shared your precious time, always believing and seeing the bright side of things and the patience and endurance you possess, along with the kind words you have spoken, for the thoughtful things you have done.
THIS WORLD REQUIRES MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU. MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU WITH MANY MORE YEARS OF GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINEESS.
NIHAL DE ALWIS ….. FOR & ON BEHALF OF THE RICHMOND 60 CLUB
