In the name of my father, Eric Cooray

TODAY, my father would have celebrated his 88th birthday. He departed this world just two months after turning 87. Many would say 'he lived a long life, a good life,' and I would of course agree. That, nevertheless, is no consolation. Not to those who were close who he left behind.

- By Krishantha Prasad Cooray

Not a day passes when I am reminded of what an exemplary human being he was and how much he has taught me, not so much through instruction but example. He was a devoted father, a loving husband, and a cherished grandfather. A devout Catholic, he attended church almost daily. Indeed, he found strength and solace in his faith, conducting his life as any God-fearing person would. He was, simply, beyond reproach.

My father, P. John Eric Reginald Cooray, was a man of immense patience, deliberate and selective in all he did.

Unlike me, he was always impeccably dressed, a quiet testament to his respect for himself and others.

He never spoke ill of others but chose instead to distance himself from those he did not favour. Honesty was his expectation, loyalty, his highest virtue.