Remembering Rev. Brother Clinton Perera A Life of Service

Later, when he was the Principal during my years at Maris Stella, I came to know him not just as a teacher but as a leader. He was firm yet fair, disciplined yet compassionate. He believed in high standards, but he also believed in mercy

Father Clinton displayed intellect, discipline and leadership from his younger years

He was a respected member amongst the Marist Brothers and the wider communities, too 

By Rev. Br. Sunanda Alwis

Maya Angelou once wrote in her poem, “When Great Trees Fall: Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us, they existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed”.

 Today, as we gather to mourn and to celebrate the life of Rev. Brother Clinton Perera, these words echo deeply in our hearts. For truly, we are here not only because he lived among us, but because he made us better. His passing leaves a silence in our midst, yet his existence continues to whisper to us, calling us to live with the same faith, discipline, and devotion that marked his extraordinary life.

Brother Clinton’s story began on February 2, 1940, in the home of Paul Perera and Meraya Adyline De Silva in Seeduwa. He grew up in a loving family with four brothers and two sisters, in an environment that was both nurturing and deeply rooted in faith. From those early years, he absorbed the values of love, respect, service, and devotion to God; values that would later shape the entire course of his life.

He received his primary education at Davisamara School in Seeduwa and his secondary education at Christ King College in Tudella. Even as a student, he stood out, not only for his intellect but for his discipline and leadership. By the age of 18, in 1958, he made a decision that would define him forever. He joined the Marist Brothers. And just five years later, in 1963, he made his final profession, dedicating his entire life to God and to the mission of educating the young.

His thirst for knowledge was lifelong, but never for himself alone; it was always for the service of others. He pursued higher education across the world: a Bachelor of Arts at Marist College in the United States, a Master of Science at the University of Salford, a Diploma in Education from the Colombo Campus, a Diploma in Religious Education in London, a Second Novitiate in Switzerland, and a Marist Family Course in France. This academic breadth gave him strength as an educator, but it also gave him spiritual depth. He was a man both of knowledge and of wisdom; grounded in faith, yet broad in vision.

Over the decades, Brother Clinton poured himself into his mission as an educator. He spent fourteen years as a teacher at Christ King College in Tudella, Maris Stella College in Negombo, and St. Joseph’s College in Nugegoda. He served eight years as Deputy Principal of Maris Stella, twelve years as Principal of Maris Stella, ten years as Principal of Holy Cross College in Kalutara, two years as Principal of Sargodha Catholic School in Pakistan, and later two years as Principal of the Maris Stella Branch. To list the schools and years alone does not capture the depth of his work. For Brother Clinton, schools were sacred ground. A classroom was not merely a place for academic instruction- it was a place to shape hearts and characters. His vision was always that education should produce not only good students, but good human beings: young men and women rooted in faith, discipline, humility, and service.

I had the privilege of experiencing this firsthand. In Grade 9 Chemistry, he was my teacher. He had a remarkable gift: he could take the most difficult scientific lesson and connect it to something from everyday life. He would explain reactions not only with formulas on the blackboard, but with examples that made sense to us as children. He turned science into a story and learning into a joy. An entire class would leave his lessons not just informed, but inspired. Later, when he was the Principal during my years at Maris Stella, I came to know him not just as a teacher but as a leader. He was firm yet fair, disciplined yet compassionate. He believed in high standards, but he also believed in mercy. Many a student who strayed was not punished into despair, but gently guided back onto the right path. His leadership was marked by strength, humility, and a fatherly heart.

Among his fellow Marist Brothers, too, he was deeply respected. I had the blessing of living with him in different communities and of serving alongside him. During my years as his Provincial, I saw in him a man who was always ready to cooperate, to collaborate, to serve the common good. He never sought recognition for himself; his only desire was to strengthen the mission of the Marist family. Truly, he lived as a Brother; in every sense of that word.
So today, what do we remember? We remember an educator, a principal, a leader. But more than that, we remember a mentor, a guide, and a servant of God. He instilled in generations of students not only academic knowledge, but values that endure—integrity, humility, discipline, and faith. He showed by example that true greatness lies not in power or position, but in service and fidelity.

His passing leaves us with sadness, yes, but also with deep gratitude. Sadness, because we will no longer see his familiar presence among us. Gratitude, because he has left behind so much: schools strengthened, students formed, communities guided, and countless lives touched.

And so, Maya Angelou’s words return to us: “They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed”. Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, we can be better because Brother Clinton existed. He walked with us, he taught us, he guided us, and he showed us the way. The best tribute we can give him is not only in our words today, but in the way we carry forward the values he embodied, and continue the mission he cherished.

To his family, his brothers and sisters, we offer our deepest condolences. To his Marist family and the schools he served, we share in your sorrow. And to all who he shaped, may we keep alive his memory not in mourning alone, but in gratitude and in action.

The writer is the Principal of Maris Stella College, Negombo.