Trevor Denver de Rozairo
Dr Carlyle Perera
A famous Sri Lankan doctor passed away peacefully at his home in Melbourne, Australia … At the age of 84.
Perera PSM. Dr. Carlyle was born in Kotahena, Colombo. His parents Wilton and Winifred thought they would educate their eldest son at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo the leading Catholic institution, where he completed his entire scholastic education. He was an exemplary student and during this period he excelled in sport as well. He participated in College Cricket captaining a successful First Eleven team in 1958 — an unique collective becuase his brother Travis was part of that team.
He was heavily involved in the production of the film Little Bike Lost in 1955/1956, by Fr. Noel Cruz, after which he entered the Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon. There, too, he was brilliant in his Education and excelled in sport, captaining the University of Ceylon cricket team.** He passed out as a general practitioner in Ceylon.
He then met the love of his life Megan and they were married. Shortly after that, seeking greener pastures he migrated with his family, three daughters and a son to Australia in 1971 and further qualified as a psychiatrist and played a leading role in that field becoming the Chief Psychiatrist in the State of Victoria’s Health Service. He was also awarded the Public Service Medal for Outstanding Service because of his diligence, enthusiasm and effortless work, which touched the lives of the community and also his patients as a Psychiatrist and met with great success. He also took on the role of the fourth President of the old boys association known as the The Old Josephians’ Club of Australia making a distinctive mark during the period 1990/1992. Carlyle will be sadly missed.
May his Soul Rest In Peace.
Trevor Denver de Rozairo
Justice of the peace, Queensland and Commoweath
ALSO NOTE
** Within the “University of Ceylon,” as it was then known in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the cricketing rivalry between the two branches, namely, Colombo and Peradeniya, was as sharp as competetive. On one occasion when I was captaining Peradeniya and played in the match against Colombo despite a damaged right elbow, I dismissed Carlyle with a one-handed left-hand catch at full stretch when he pulled our leg-spinner Gunaratne. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my mind because I flipped over as I caught it and landed on my right side. I could not bat as a result.