Profoundly sorrowful news: Mr. Neil Fernando (25thMay 1937 – 9th January 2021) – by Felix Stephen   It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that I share with you the extremely sad news that my dear friend Mr. Neil Fernando (25thMay 1937 – 9th January 2021) passed away while on a visit to the United Kingdom. Neil was a close friend of my younger brother, the late Tony Stephen (former General Manager – Fihalohi Holiday Resort, Maldives). It was Tony who introduced Neil to me when I made a stopover in Colombo during an official global tour in the late 90’s. Neil’s fledgling company Neil Marine (Pvt) Ltd. (http://neilmarine.com/)  was seeking support to expand their fiberglass boat building venture. I introduced Neil to the team at AusAID at the Australian High Commission in Colombo.    From humble beginnings around the Negombo Lagoon where Neil began his boat building enterprise over 50 ...

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