Although he was not a Catholic, Mr. Bopegedera was educated in a Catholic school (St. Thomas College, Matale, Sri-Lanka). He worked for the Federal Government of Sri-Lanka in many different capacities and retired as the Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of the Department of Social Services. He often said, “Catholic schools transform children’s lives.”
Mrs. Bopegedera was a school teacher who specialized in elementary education. She spent the majority of her working life in an inner-city school teaching kids whose parents had difficulty supporting their needs. Towards the end of her teaching career, she transferred to Saint Thomas College (Kotte, Sri-Lanka), closer to her home town.
Mr. and Mrs. Bopegedera deeply believed in the faith- and value-based education provided by Catholic schools, and supported them generously. They spent a significant portion of their financial resources to educate their children at St. Bridget Convent, Colombo and continued to invest in all their grandchildren’s education in Catholic schools. In 1990, an annual academic achievement award was established at St. Bridget’s Convent by their daughters in honor of their parents.
In memory of these dedicated parents, their children, together with their spouses and grandchildren have established a memorial fund to support the Pope John Paul II High School in Olympia and invite family and friends to support this effort.
