Accomplished accountant and golf lover no more

When Indira called me on my mobile from London to inform me that Maha had passed away I was devastated. Especially since he told me that he had had a kidney transplant in December 2019 and was recovering very well. In fact in an email to me on 5th January 2020 he mentioned” this is the best Christmas gift I have had in all my life “hence the news of his death was a great shock!

My close friendship with Maha was through playing golf with him at RCGC very regularly on his trips to Sri Lanka. In fact Nihal Bora, Maha and I shared playing a two ball often early morning which ended up with breakfast and the regular chat and banter at the club.   

Three years ago Maha and I were partners in the annual Royal Thomian golf tournament. Our opponents were Michael Dias my brother & Vijaya Mallalesekera. We beat them in a close tussle on the 17th hole much to our delight since we considered beating a better golfer in my brother. Maha was a “lefty” like me and although he was quite skinny he drove the golf ball further than me because of his technically perfect swing. His swing was much to do with the sophisticated indoor training apparatus he brought down from the UK and installed and practiced himself and trained some golfers at station road Wellawatte. He offered this equipment to the RCGC as a joint venture to train more members and students but unfortunately he was disappointed that the club did not agree to this joint venture for reasons best known only to them. Since he could not find a capable person to handle the training with him and it became too much of a strain to do it himself he dismantled it and took it back to the UK. 

 
Maha was an accomplished accountant a kind and jovial person having retired, He took to golf which he so loved. Nihal and I will miss playing the 18 holes we shared with him at the RCGC so often.   

Rest in Peace “you good and faithful servant”.   
Kitto Dias