Mr.Lionel Fernando, a senior officer in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service and a diplomat passed away.He was 88 years.
Mr. Lionel Fernando, who has held many positions in the administrative service, has also served as the Governor of the North East.
During the North East conflicts he held the position of District Secretary of Jaffna and also worked as a member of the Human Rights Commission.
Mr.Fernando is also an excellent theater artist and contributed to films like 'Mahagedara', 'Tilaka and Tilaka', 'Para Saturo'.
He served as the Ambassador for Sri Lanka in the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain and as the High Commissioner in Malaysia.He significantly influenced Sri Lanka's cultural and media landscape as Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.
He served as the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, High Commissioner to Malaysia, ambassador to the Netherlands and France and also as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.
He has very rich and interesting anecdotes to relate about his diverse experiences as an administrator and a diplomat but nothing short of a biography can capture them all
Mr. Lionel Fernando was the beloved husband of the late Somalatha Subasinghe. . He leaves behind daughters Kaushalya Fernando and Shyamalika Nanayakkara, and sons-in-law Professor Chandana Aluthge and Priyanka Nanayakkara.
His remains will lie at Jayaratne Respect Parlour from 9.30 am on tomorrow 08th July, and the last rites will be performed the same evening at 5.30 at the new crematorium, Borella Cemetery.
