An accomplished man with a heart of gold

12 March 2022 02:11 am Views - 2200

Segarajasingham Nagendra, known as Sega, met the love of his life when they were both children. Eight years her senior, Sega was the playmate and bodyguard of his cousin Sarla Murugaser. Both were direct descendants of Sir Ponnamabalam Arunachalam, being this illustrious Ceylonese’s great grandchildren down different lines. As they grew up the newly qualified driver Sega would give Sarla lifts home from school, borrowing his father’s HumberHawk motorcar. 

In those days Sega and Sarla were just playmate cousins. Sega was schooled at St Joseph’s College where he was an enthusiastic sportsman, while Sarla excelled as a sprinter at Ladies College. It was a few years after her leaving school that this tall skinny, but extremely handsome young man was presented to Sarla as a suitor by her mother. As was often the case in those days it was not so much the young man pursuing the young lady. Following ancient tradition the young lady’s mother, Mrs Maheswary Murugaser, caught the young man. Having been close from a young age, neither the young man nor the young lady made any attempt to escape the chase falling willingly into each other’s arms. Sega’s parents, Dr.T. Nagendra and Annarpoorni, were content that their devoted son moved them from primary to secondary place in his affections yielding precedence to his new bride. With his parents living close by in Rosmead Place, Sega would continue to visit them every day possible for the rest of their lives.

Sega was a past chairman/president of the Sri Lanka chapters of the Skal Club, the Pacific Asian Travel Association and the Chartered Management Institute

 

Sarla’s father T.Murugaser gave Sega a fatherly lecture. Sega was instructed to look after his daughter as carefully as he himself had done, and to never move far away from him. Sega honoured both these promises. They brought up their two children, Kshirabdhi and Prashan, and welcomed their son-in-law Jekhan and their daughter-in-law
Chameli. And they enjoyed their two grandsons Karnan and Suhit.

Sega commenced his career at Ford Rhodes & Thornton, later to become KPMG. After part qualifying Sega joined Carsons Cumberbatch. Starting as a junior accounts executive he rose through the ranks to become the Senior Director. As he moved into the corporate’s upper echelons Sega became Resident General Manager of Pegasus Reef. He moved on from there to be the director in charge where Carson’s was the Sri Lanka agent for leading foreign products such as Michelin Tyres. He rose to become Carson’s Chief Accountant before he took on his
favourite role as KLM Director. His KLM role, which he held for almost 20 years, provided perks allowing him to travel extensively. He often took Sarla and their two children to the USA, Europe and the Middle East. He eventually retired from CML Edwards in 2018. Until his dying day Sega continued to be chairman and director of companies including the technology company EFutures where his son Prashan is CEO.

Sega was a past chairman/president of the Sri Lanka chapters of the Skal Club, the Pacific Asian Travel Association and the Chartered Management Institute. He chaired the Sri Lanka Pakistan and the Sri Lanka Benelux Business Councils. In 2015 he became Chairman of perhaps Sri Lanka’s most prestigious association, The Colombo Club.

Every human enjoys happiness and suffers tragedy. Sega was a leading businessman, director and chairman of many companies, patron and trustee of temples and associations. He was highly respected as an honourable  man who would do his utmost to see fair play. His relationship with his wife was one of the best I have ever seen. However his greatest tragedy was losing his daughter, who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis and passed away in London in 2013 at 40 years.

At Sega’s funeral I was told by many what I already knew; that he was a very good man. That he was a people’s person. I can personally attest that he would greet the office peon as sincerely and kindly as he would an ambassador.

Sega passed away suddenly of a heart attack. He and Sarla had recently spent Christmas in England visiting his grandson Karnan and fiancée Ellie at their new home in Folkestone. Just a month before they had visited me in Jaffna; the town of their ancestors.
The World lost one of its gentlemen. 
Jekhan Aruliah 
(Son-in-law)