By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya

Rex de Silva

It’s hard to believe that Rex de Silva is no more, he left us too soon at 74. He bid his last farewell in his typical modest fashion – unbeknownst to many, cremated within hours of his death according to his last wishes. No public announcements, fanfare or ceremony. But that will not lessen the sense of loss to an entire generation of journalists he groomed, to whom he was mentor, role model and friend during his lifetime.

In those days, as Editor in Chief of the (now-defunct) Sun and Weekend newspapers of the Independent Newspapers group, Rex was a larger-than-life presence. Gifted with a combination of traits few can boastof in a ruthless industry, he was as dynamic as he was well-loved by all around him. It wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that in the editorial department, all the guys wanted to be like him, and all the girls had a secret (and sometimes not-so-secret) crush on him!

For those who worked with Rex, the image of that super-cool guy striding into office in his trademark blue jeans with camera slung over his shoulder, will be tempered by the knowledge of his unremitting professionalism and commitment. His enthusiasm was infectious. Always accessible to those who sought his counsel, Rex encouraged his protégés to investigate stories fearlessly, never to be afraid to speak ‘truth to power,’ and to ‘tell it like it is’ on the printed page.

As cub reporters he would give us assignments that took us among people from allwalks of life, high and low, and around the country, far and wide. I have heard it said that this was the best ‘journalism class’ anyone could hope to enroll in at the time.

Rex instilled in reporters a sense of the onerous responsibility that went with the job of being the ‘watchdog of the people.’ But somehow along with this seriousness of purpose was conveyed the need to get the scoop, to beat the competition against all odds – a formula that in the end, sold newspapers.

His ready wit that produced memorable headlines, never had any hint of malice. His ‘ one word of advice’ to me when I told him I would be getting married, was “Don’t!”

Rex was a free spirit at heart, whose eclecticism was reflected in his style of doing things. From the quirky to the commonplace, everything was fair game. His range of interests was such that whether it was politics, the arts, international affairs, local customs, traditional crafts, high-tech developments, sportsor fashion, reporters would benefit from his familiarity or knowledge of the subject when he briefed them before an assignment.

Often, what came through during these interactions was Rex’s genuine concern for the poor and the underprivileged. For him the newspaper had to be a ‘voice for the voiceless.’ With his retirement after two decades spent setting up and running newspapers in Brunei, Rex moved to the US to live with his sons, and took to painting. A collection of his oil paintings was exhibited at the Bellevue, Philadelphia in 2012.

Rex has been “dabbling in paints in between deadlines and headlines during the past four decades with the media industry in Asia” says the blurb on the KarmicEye Art website (https://karmiceye.wordpress.com/) where a sampling of his vibrantly colourful work may be seen . “These paintings are influenced by Buddhist teachings that transcend the cause and effect concept of Karma” it says.

The last time I saw Rex was during one of his visits to Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, when I had the pleasure of having him and his wife Ranjini over for dinner. It was the last time I saw him. Corresponding on email after his return to the US he said he read my column in the Sunday Times and liked it very much – a valued compliment, as he was a veteran on politics and international affairs. As always, the interaction though brief, was inspiring.

Rex de Silva will be remembered by Sri Lanka’s journalistic community as one of its greats. The slightly austere-looking pictures of him that have appeared in newspapers could be somewhat misleading to those who did not know him. Those who did, could not but fail to see beneath the façade of seriousness, the kind and compassionate soul he was. And this, perhaps, is what he will be best remembered for.

Courtesy:Daily Mirror