Ernest Amarasinghe, 4S7EA SK March 5, 2018

Ernest Amarasinghe, 4S7EA SK March 5, 2018

https://www.qcwa.org/4s7ea-22067-sk.htm

It is with great sadness that the RSSL announces the passing away of one of Sri Lanka.s best known radio amateurs in the last 5 decades. Ernest, known to many as a fine DXer on the DX bands, passed away on the 5th of March, 2018 two months after complications of heart failure. He passed away flanked by his wife Chandra with whom he celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary in 2017.

Ernest was a fine friend to many and helped many a foreign radio amateur to secure their licenses in Sri Lanka and operate from his home. He won the hearts of many and their goodwill towards Sri Lanka and the Radio Society of Sri Lanka of which he was President for three consecutive years. He is bestowed the honour of introducing VHF repeaters to Sri Lanka with his German friends in early 1982 .

He was a role model to many hams in Sri Lanka with his excellent HF operations, an excellent shack and a great Cubical Quad which was a landmark in suburban Colombo. His shack was a show piece and impressed many and represented the nature of amateur radio in the eyes of the authorities. Ernest was ever ready to help the young radio amateur and his home was always open to them and radio materials were given by him to many a young enthusiast to be on their way.

About 07 year ago Ernest and Chandra wound up activities in Sri Lanka and moved to California to live with his son Kavi 4S7KA and his wife. However, he kept in touch with the RSSL and his friends back home and visited Sri Lanka every second year.

The RSSL extends its deepest sympathies to Chandra his XYL, Kavi his son and his XYL on the passing away of a fine radio amateur who brought great honour to the amateur service in Sri Lanka. We wish him the eternal bliss of Nibbana

His final rites will take place on Saturday 10th March, at 1 PM at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Santa Monica Blvd, California.

From QCWA's 'Our Living Heritage' webpage
For many years Ernest was one of the beacons for 4S7 activities from his station at Divulpitiya in Boralasgamuwa. His Quad was a landmark and gave umpteen number of radio amateurs all over the world to work Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Ernest QSYd to W6 land in April 2011 and is active on the Echolink, but has no intention to be QRV from the US having been a beacon for S.Asia for over 50 years.