Vilma receiving her journalism award in 2006. (Picture by Sunday Times of Sri Lanka)
With deep sorrow and regret the editor and the staff of the Sri Lanka Reporter announced the passing away of veteran journalist Vilma Wimaladasa last month.
According to reports reaching from Colombo Vilma was attacked by a burglar at her Terrence Avenue residence in Mount Lavinia and was rushed to hospital with a hip injury where she died few hours later. She was 80.
Vilma commenced her journalism career at the former Times of Ceylon in 1953. She was a Miss Ziegelaar before she married U. Wimaladasa, better known as Wimal, also a journalist at the Times of Ceylon during the era of editor Tori De Souza. She later joined the Daily News and Sunday Observer of the Lake House Group in the early 80s and worked for a couple of years before retirement. Her husband predeceased her. Vilma was the Sri Lankan correspondent for “Daily Telegraph” London. She was presented with the long service award by the Editors’ Guild in 2006.
Vilma leaves behind her daughter Priyanthi and son-in-law Christo Vanderwert and grand-daughter Daniella, all residents of Melbourne, Australia.
In the mid-seventies I first met Vilma when I joined the Daily Mirror, the morning daily of the Times of Ceylon. She was a charming lady always with a smile and a dependable team player. I was the ‘baby’ of the team among over a dozen excellent journalists of Sri Lanka.
During Vilma’s time editors of the Daily Mirror were late Reggie Michael, late E. P. de Silva, late Felician Fernando and Sunday Times editors were late Felix Goonawardena, late E. P. de Silva, late Feilcian Fernando, late Mervyn de Silva, late Donovan Moldrich and late Victor Gunawardena.
The news editors were late Anthony Fernando and late A. P. J. Cherical. The features editor was Saliya Goonawardena and the sports editor was Elmo Rodrigopulle. The chief sub editor of Sunday Times was late Victor Gunawardena and his deputy was C. S. Dhamarajah. On the sub editor’s desk at the Daily Mirror were late Clarence Anandappa (Chief Sub), late K. C. Kulasinghe, late Elmo Baldsingh, late Elmo Benedict and late Donald Samarasinghe and many others.
In the mid-seventies I first met Vilma when I joined the Daily Mirror, the morning daily of the Times of Ceylon. She was a charming lady always with a smile and a dependable team player.
The high caliber reporters were late Shelton Liyanage, Tilaka Pancharatnam, Lloyd Devarajah, late Prema de Mel, Richard de Silva, M. J. M. Zarook, late Vilma Wimaladasa, late B. C. Perera and sports reporters were Bernie Wijesekera, Trevin Rodrigo (Australia), late Anil Atapattu who was later chief sub editor of Sun newspaper and late Ranil Weerasinghe who was later news editor of Sun. At the Daily News Vilma’s editor was Manik de Silva and her editor at the Sunday Observer was Harold Peiris. Among her colleagues on the Daily News Sub Editors’ desk were veteran Chandra Silva and our Copy Editor Somasiri Munasinghe.
Though the circulation of Daily Mirror and the Sunday Times was small in numbers the production of the editorial content was far more superior than any Lake House or Sun publication at the time.
One of the fond memories I have about Vilma in the late seventies was when I was covering head of state President J. R. Jayewardene during the April holiday season in Nuwara Eliya. I covered the Planter’s Association meeting which President Jayewardene presided. The Times of Ceylon journalists were invited for lunch by President Jayewardene at the King’s House, Nuwara Eliya. After sending official priority copy to my news editor A. P. J. Cherical from the Nuwara Eliya Senior Superintendent of Police office we were at peace as the major part of the Colombo assignment was completed.
It was an anxious and nervous situation for me and photographer late S. Sivaraj with regard to the lunch invitation by President J. R. Jayewardene. As usual the veteran Times of Ceylon driver late Siyadoris was more confident than us. We had almost an hour before having lunch with President Jayewardene and were walking along the Main Street, Nuwara Eliya and whom do we meet, Vilma and her pretty daughter Priyanthi!
‘Don’t forget to smoke JR’s Cuban cigars’
I told Wilma that we had a lunch invitation from President Jayewardene and we were unaware of the etiquettes that we should follow as we eat with the head of state. She said: “Are you crazy! That old man loves to have fun with journalists” said Vilma cautioning me ‘don’t forget to smoke a Cuban cigar he offers!’
J.R. Jayewardene...Liked to have fun with journalists.
She was absolutely correct as for good three hours we enjoyed the company of our host President Jayewardene and that was the first time I smoked a Cuban cigar. Later we met Wilma and her daughter at her late husband Wimal’s ancestral home in Nanu Oya. Vilma, who was a Burgher by birth, said as a mark of respect to her late husband she visited his family every year.
I was the first Times of Ceylon journalist to be invited to join the Daily News/Sunday Observer in 1981 and few years later my beloved colleague and veteran journalist Vilma Wimaladasa joined as a sub editor. She was followed by court reporter M. J. M. Zarook and Elmo Rodrigopulle who is today the sports editor of Daily News.
I met Norma Steinwall, one of Vilma’s Holy Family Convent classmates at the Josephian-Peterite match played at Ajax recently. She remembered Vilma as a very good old friend.
The Copy Editor of the Sri Lanka Reporter Somasiri Munasinghe too had the good fortune of meeting this lovely lady at the sub desks on the Daily News and Sunday Observer and he says that Vilma was a great help to him as a novice trying to grasp the finer points of editing and remembers her attending his wedding.
Passing away of pretty Vilma marks an end of a long era of journalism and we note with sadness that most of the stalwarts who enriched Sri Lankan journalism like Vilma with their selfless contributions are not with us today. Though their loss is tragic to us on a personal level we treasure their memories and the legacy and journalism standards that they have left behind to shape future generations of journalists.
Vilma was laid to rest at a private funeral according her wishes.
May her soul rest in peace.
