Goodbye Dhyan White: You Certainly Made Your Mark – By Lawrence Machado
Goodbye, dear classmate and fellow altar server, Dhyan White. It’s always very sad to hear of the passing away of a childhood friend even though we hadn’t seen each other for many years. Those bonds never die, despite distances.
Dhyan died in his sleep in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, leaving his loving family and many friends bereft of his unique personality.
Dhyan seemed to have recovered well after his major heart surgery some years ago and was looking forward to our Peterite 1974 class reunion next month in Colombo in June 2024. Sadly, we will never see his cheeky grin and hear his stories again as he was one of the liveliest members of our WhatsApp group. Fortunately for many of our classmates in Sri Lanka, he attended a mini-reunion a few months ago.
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Dhyan and his family migrated to Australia in 1971 and he also worked for many years in China before returning to his Motherland some years ago.
Family picture taken some years ago:
BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Bernadine, Fiona, Mum Lavender, Dad Fred, Cathy (Mario’s wife) and Mario.
MIDDLE: Jason (Bernadine ‘s son), Bradley and Cherie (Mario’s children)
FRONT ROW: Dhyan, Suzette and Cliff.
Dhayan’s Mum Lavender and Dad Fred were hockey greats in Sri Lanka, while his uncle was the legendary Duncan White, Ceylon’s first silver medallist (400m hurdles) when he stunned the world in the 1948 London Olympics. Captain Fred was rated as among the world’s best hockey goalies at one time. His goalkeeping was so brilliant that the Indian manager at that time said if Freddie was an Indian, they would take him to the 1960 Rome Olympics. This was during the greatest era for Asian hockey when India and Pakistan dominated the world.
His wonderful Mum Lavender (nee Brohier) also played for Ceylon. Both she and Fred were also highly-respected hockey coaches and passed on their vast knowledge to hundreds of youngsters, including my eldest sister Sally, who was fortunate to have Lavender as her coach at St Paul’s Girls School, Milagiriya. Fred passed away nearly two years ago in Perth where the family settled down after their migration.
Dhyan, who could be an annoying chap during our altar server days or at school, led a successful life in several sectors. Like his elder brother Mario (named Fred Jr), Dhyan served in the Australian Army for three years, was manager of Meekatharra Hotel and KFC for many years and was the licensee for Sivo’s Pizza for six years. He then changed his profession completely and became a successful English teacher in China for 15 years.
I remember Dhyan being lethal with the rubber band and paper bullets which he would aim at anyone in his vicinity, often catching unsuspecting passers-by down Arethusa Lane (where they lived) with his well-aimed shots to their body. Dhyan loved to play the fool and the two of us got into a few ‘challenge fights’ in the church compound when he threatened to call his Army Captain Dad to put me in my place!
St Lawrence’s Church was our common meeting place where scores of altar servers met to play after church services to play sports or do community work. To say that the church and Arethusa Lane were quieter and safer after Dhyan left Ceylon’s shores for Australia is an understatement! But it was also lot less fun without the White family who were a big part of our church community. We used to visit their home regularly as Mario was also an altar server who took care of the younger chaps. Dhyan was always up to some mischief or the other and you had to watch your back when he was around. If he got you under your skin, you could bet your bottom dollar he would follow it up with his crazy laugh which only made you feel worse. We would love to get even with him. But first, you had to catch him and he was fast!
Overall, in his adult and professional life, Dhyan had a generous spirit and a large heart, helping many people and always having a business idea or two in his active mind. He remained close friends with his former wife Mary, even after they went their separate ways.
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My deepest sympathies to Aunty Lavender, Mario, Bernadine, Suzette, Fiona, Cliff and your families on his huge loss.
May dear Dhyan’s soul rest safe in the arms of Jesus and God comfort his family and many friends.
I guess Heaven must be seeing a few paper bullets flying around at unexpected moments now!
Funeral arrangements were not finalised at the time of writing.
ends
