The Oldest Living Josephian? – 103-Year-Old Basil Siriwardane
By Avishka Mario Senewiratne and Akila de Silva A few weeks ago, we received a phone call from our dear friend Ainslie Joseph, who had some interesting information for us. The Messenger , the official organ of the Catholic Church in Colombo, had carried a rather important birthday anniversary notice of one gentleman who was to turn 103! The notice had clearly mentioned that he is an Old Boy of St. Joseph’s College. We realized that this gentleman, perhaps is the oldest living Josephian, for, in our circles here and overseas, we have not come across any Josephian who was a centenarian. After finding his contact details, we got in touch with his youngest son and were invited to his house in Kochchikade, off Negombo, 50km North of Colombo. Despite the country's severe fuel crisis during this time, we realized we should, by all means, take a chance, with some help from public transport, to visit 103-year-old, Basil Siriwardane. Mohandiram Siriwardane Whe...
