Tribute to a rare colleague, gentleman and friend: Malinda Samaratunga

By Nirosha Perera 

You never said “good-bye”, you just left!

Friendships in life come and go. They visit us like a warm patch of sun during the months of spring, then at times disappear suddenly in the winter. They say we should cherish the friendships that leave us warm in our hearts. 

Eight years ago, I met a remarkable character in the corporate world; he was the Chief Financial Officer at Union Bank. He was a very loyal, hardworking employee of the organisation. Some would say this is a typical way to describe a person, but nevertheless he fits the bill. Ever optimistic, and ever committed to whatever the task given, you would see him working away at times very late into the nights as his duty called. 

He was the type of ‘boss’ one would always dream of having. Never a ‘boss’ to many, but always a good friend. There is no one who can be both stressed and cool at the same time the way he was. It was admirable how he handled such situations with a simple motto, ‘this is my duty, and I should perform it’.  

His ‘superpower’ was the ability to be friends; there were no relationship rules to be friends with him. Be it a tea lady, a junior, the leadership team or the board, Malinda always managed these relationships well. His ability of so-called ‘PR’ is something that as friends we admired. We came to realise being angry with him over disagreements would not live long under his spell. He was full of enthusiasm, jovial and ready to change your mood from bad to good. 

His ability to set anyone to a lighter mode was amazing. He would find the simplest things to be quite amusing. He would never fail to make us laugh sometimes till we teared up. He was someone who saw humour in the simplest day to day instances. His craze with cars and vehicles is something to laugh about and his love for vehicles was undeniable. 

He believed in fair-play and justice and never hesitated to tell us when we were wrong. We have had our fair share of arguments as an Auditor and a CFO. Yet, we always came back as friends. He admired the strength of others, criticised when he felt others were wrong, directed his subordinates and acted as his heart led him. He was a man who could be consulted with confidence over matters of confidentiality, as a true professional CFO.

Although he provided us with entertainment within our group of friends, we also would have meaningful chats when we met each other. He spoke about life, his trips and the travels he enjoyed during his life. Although he did not wear the cap of religion, he saw life as a meaningful journey. Quite often, he spoke of his belief and path to Nibbana and I believe, he was on the right path in this journey. He practiced Buddhism in the right way. In my religious belief, it is said that when you give, let the left hand not know what the right is doing; I believe he was one of the few who practiced this. It is this reason that we rejoice at the life he lived. 

Behind this joyful man there were moments of disappointment and feelings of loss, where he once said that the loss of his father felt like a storm blowing across the house; he said it felt very empty after he was gone. I never thought I would use the same words to describe his departure. He was a man full of emotions. 

He was a great father to his daughter and a loving husband to his wife. We witnessed that day in and out whenever he spoke of them. He was so proud of the achievements of his wife and believed that her career was equally as important as his. He was a lucky man to find a life partner who understood him every step of the way. 

All his goals were achieved very early in life. A career to be proud of, a rare bond with his parents, bringing a lifetime of love, finding his own true love very early in life and sharing with her all his ups and downs. Living life with such passion, enjoying every moment, and traveling around the world. He humbly reaped his blessings before his departure from life. He built his own kingdom and was the ‘King’ of it, as many saw and acknowledged.

A king that we would hail in our hearts. A precious child, a loving husband, an adorable father, a dear colleague and a true friend… Your memories will remain with us forever!

I don’t believe death can take away a friendship that is so dear and near to our hearts. It’s been two years since you left but you will remain in our hearts forever. 

Adios Malinda, you are greatly missed.