Floreat - 2021 September Issue

nickname – ‘Duckie’. No doubt because at that time he was chubby. But I for one, can never recall any colleague of mine
calling him by that name. And it was certainly not due to fear. But because he was so endearing.

In writing this tribute to Viji Weerasinghe I am indebted to Ms. Lakshmi Attygalle – Deputy Principal, Royal College and
Malinda Seneviratne an old boy whose in-depth analysis of current affairs is published regularly in the print media and
avidly read by many. Both have written tributes to Viji Weerasinghe. From these have I gathered much needed material
for my humble tribute. There have been more, many, many more, who have written much more lucidly that I ever can.
And it’s only Viji Weerasinghe who can earn such sincere and heartfelt respect.

‘Viji’ Weerasinghe taught us English Literature and Latin (which I skipped). Other than the prescribed texts he urged us to
drink deep from the founts of the masterpieces of English Literature. Authors such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austin,
Emily Bronte. Poets such as Thomas Gray, Oliver Goldsmith, William Wordsworth.

Viji Weerasinghe was teacher, guru, mentor, to students, teachers, principals and even to old boys occupying high office
in the public and private sectors. No, he did not crave to be so sought after. It was they who craved to seek after him. His
advice to teachers exemplifies the man. ‘Do not forget that you yourself were once a schoolboy’ Oh yes! He did have a
sense of humor. One small verse he repeated was connected to the suffragette movement. It went like this-

‘Two inches, two inches, two inches shorter Same are the skirts of both mother and daughter When the wind blows both
of them show Two inches, two inches, more than they oughter’

Many, many years after I had left college and was holding a senior position in a company, I was given the privilege of going
on an all- expense paid trip to Europe with my wife and son, who was a student at RPS. It was to be a one-month trip and
I had to obtain leave for my son. This necessitated my meeting Viji Weerasinghe who was Headmaster. As I tapped and
politely entered his office he looked up and said ‘Hello JGP, so nice to see you.’ I was amazed that he remembered my
name. And this is true of every student. He remembered each of their names.

I explained the purpose of my visit. Leave for my son was readily granted. But being the teacher he was, he instructed my
son to maintain a diary of each day’s activities and show this to him after he returned to school. Viji Weerasinghe was
Royal and Royal was Viji Weerasinghe. As he once remarked ‘Scholars need not change Royal. Royal should change schol-
ars’.

And so as the poet has said ‘The moving finger writes and having writ moves on…..’ We come to B. St E. de Bruin affec-
tionately called ‘Bruno.’ He was a brilliant, award winning student at Royal. He should have obtained a First-Class Honors
degree from the University but did not. And so he returned to Royal as a teacher where he served for 18 years. He was
scholar, sportsman, semantic. He taught English Literature. I well remember his classes where he vividly described the
very heartbeat of Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness. He gave us plenty of homework. He would carry our exercise books
(about 30 of them) to the Hostel where he stayed. There at night he would correct them, making notes in his neat, dis-
tinctive, handwriting and return the lot to us the next day.

Mr de Bruin was also Cricket and Athletics Coach and, in both sports, Royal led the field. He left our island’s shores in 1960
and finally settled down as Senior Mathematics Master in Cornwall College, Montego Bay, Jamaica. There were probably
three reasons as to why he selected that school and country. Firstly, both Jamaica and Ceylon had a very similar tropical
climate. Secondly, Cornwall College was a public school very much like Royal in which Cricket and Athletics were the pop-
ular sports. Thirdly – Coincidence. The motto of Cornwall College and Royal College were the same. Disce Aut Discede.

Here he taught for 35 years, endearing himself to students and winning the highest respect of the Government. He passed
away at the age of 79 years in July 2003. The Jamaica Observer had this to say ‘He gained Cornwall College exceptional
examination results. His influence at the institution exceeded the boundaries of Mathematics classes for he coached
cricket, athletics, table tennis and rifle shooting.’ Mr de Bruin (How can I ever call him Bruno!) led a very austere life,
shunning luxury and was completely unattached to the material things of life.

50

He was generous. Absolutely so. He used to help students with lunch money, books, school fees and clothes. His comforts
and well-being came second to the needs of his students. As a teacher at Cornwall College remarked ‘Many students took
him as that of a father. Yes, Mr de Bruin gave of his life to his students. Day after day. In every way.
Much can be written about this most endearing person. So, it’s best to sum up by quoting Dr. Brendon Gooneratne (To
whom I am indebted for some of the material I have used in this article) ‘He was the human being I knew who was closest
to being a saint.’
Amen
https://island.lk/the-masterpieces-of-royal-part-2-a-royal-tribute/

51

Committee

52