Farewell beloved Mavis - a wonderful, loyal and constant friend

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I agreed to write an appreciation for Mavis Gardiner nee Henry my dearest friend.  I have known Mavis Gardiner for a long time,

since our Ladies’ College days. I remember Mavis and her sister Helen Henry as beautiful girls in our senior school.

They were absolute beauties in their short uniforms and ponytails. Many of us younger girls were very much in awe of them. It was only a few days ago that I received my weekly call from Mavis. We would have very long conversations. We had such a long association that we would talk about just about everything including our children, our grandchildren and how our lives were progressing. In fact, when I saw Sanjeeve’s daughter Sheanna at the funeral, she was surprised how much I knew about her life. Mavis had spent a lot of time telling me about her lovely grandchildren.

 I was also very much with Mavis through all the difficult times she went through to conceive her beloved son Sanjeev, conceiving him finally after a vow made to Saint Jude’s Church. Mavis was a devout Catholic and prayed for a miracle. Sanjeev was her miracle and his birth was the highlight of her life. In later years she used to always tell me what a special and wonderful son Sanjeev was. She had this amazing bond with him. He took great care to always be there for her. She blessed him abundantly and every day for being the most amazing son to her.

 I remember beautiful Mavis modelling for Tuckers Autodrome in her beautiful Kanchipuram saree. She was a ravishing beauty and when she walked down that ramp, none of us were too surprised when our dear friend Cyril fell madly in love with her. 

 Mavis was always very possessive of Cyril, who was a keen dancer. It was only Subo and I who had her blessings to dance with him. My husband Wicky taught Cyril to do the cha-cha. He would love to twirl me around the floor and he would call me his favourite dancing partner! We were very close friends and we enjoyed many wonderful memories together as young couples. The very close bond between the Gardiner family and the Sellamuttu family went back for several generations of friendship and business ties through Ceylon Theatres, Cargills, Millers, etc., in the post-colonial era. Mavis also considered my mother Sundari and her sisters Rajesh and Yoga to be her very closest friends. 

 She often spoke about my mother Sundari and my father Rasa and the bygone dancing days at the famous “Mascarilla” at the Galle Face Hotel.  I am happy that our children continue this long friendship and bond that our families have enjoyed for several generations.

 Mavis was a wonderful, loyal and constant friend to me. She never forgot Wicky’s or my birthdays. We have got accustomed to a wonderful cake from Galle Face Hotel, as always being a part of all our birthdays we have celebrated over the years. Just the other day she mentioned to me that she was going to send me and Wicky boy (as she called him) a gourmet meal from Galle Face Hotel. 
That was the generous and kind nature of my dear friend Mavis Gardiner. The friendship we shared leaves a great void in our lives. I will always love you my darling forever friend. I will miss you for all the days of my life. Goodbye sweet Mavis and may your wonderful soul rest in eternal peace.

Shirani Sellamuttu