An appreciation to Dr.Lorna Srimathie Dewaraja, I was very sad to learn about the passing away of my dear former University colleague and batch mate, Dr.Lorna Srimathie Dewaraja, former Associate Professor of History in the University of Colombo and former Director of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies, Colombo.

My memory of association with her is very close as we spent together four memorable student years, partly in Colombo and partly at Peradeniya, following the Special Course in History direct under the, guidance of Prof. Hemachandra Ray. Lorna, a product of Ladies College, Colombo, as I recall, was always the harder working student of the two of us, whereas I got partly involved in University politics, ending up as President of Marrs Hall Society, a member of the Union Society Council and Editor of the Union Magazine immediately following Mervyn de Silva,

Lorna deserved an early place in the academic staff of the University but that honour was extended to me as I had performed better in the examinations and external examiners had recommended a First Class for me.

Meanwhile Lorna proceeded to London to follow a Diploma course in Education while I left the University to join the Foreign Service. Thereafter, Lorna was appointed to a permanent post of Assistant Lecturer at the University of Ceylon. She obtained her PhD from the University of London writing her thesis on the Kingdom of Kandy. Several editions of it have been published in book form under the title "Kandyan Kingdom," which remains to this date the most authoritative and undisputed quoted reference work on that kingdom.

Lorna later joined the Colombo University as Associate Professor in History. She was also a joint Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Library, Sri Lanka to which she donated her valuable collection of reference books.

Her University career was followed by a stint as an International Civil Servant, working at the UNESCO regional office, Bangkok. On retirement from international service, she joined Dr.Vernon Mendis, former senior diplomat, to set up the Institute of Diplomatic Training, Colombo. She retired from there on account of failing health.

After retirement from the University she wrote a book on Muslims of Sri Lanka, emphasizing amicable relations which existed between them and the Sinhalese. As I know it was compiled on the invitation of former Foreign Minister A.C.S.Hameed. Her last contribution to the academia was to write several chapters in the several volumed M.D Gunasena Publication, "Sri Lakeya Itihasaya, 2012," edited by Dr.W.M.K.Wijetunge.

Lorna married my old friend, Amarawansa Dewaraja, who became the Government Archivist after Mr.Pauluz. She leaves two charming daughters, one of whom joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service whom I had the pleasure of training to meet future diplomatic challenges, and was selected by the Foreign Office for a post graduate course in International Relations at the time my own youngest daughter was finishing her LLM degree at the Cambridge University.

Lorna has brought credit to herself, the family and the country through her international work.

May she attain Nibbana!

Bandu de Silva

Former Ambassador