Dr David Weerasooriya lived 93 remarkable years as a medical practitioner, scholar, migrant, artist and devoted family man.
When he passed away on May 8, he left behind a legacy that spanned continents and generations, defined by compassion, discipline and quiet excellence.
Born on July 14, 1932 in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), David was the first son of Henry David Weerasooriya and Muriel Mildred De Silva. He had two older sisters, and his younger brother later completed the family. Named after three kings, he carried himself with natural dignity — never boastful, but unmistakable.
At age 11, he topped the island-wide scholarship exam and entered Royal College Colombo, earning the nickname “Pipes” after his father visited the school smoking a pipe.
Though he briefly considered law, medicine called to him. He completed his medical degree at the University of Ceylon in 1958 and began paediatric training, discovering a lifelong affinity for caring for children.
Seeking advanced training, David travelled to the United Kingdom. In 1960, he passed the diploma in child health. Four years later, he achieved a rare feat: sitting for the membership examinations of the royal colleges of physicians in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow within months — and passing all three. The “triple MRCP” became a quiet badge of honour.
Armed with world-class qualifications, he returned home to serve Sri Lanka. In Jaffna, David wrote his first book — a guide for nurses and young mothers — later translated into Sinhala by his wife, Ranjini. Later in Ratnapura, he transformed the children’s ward so profoundly that the community named a street after him. He authored a hygiene textbook for schoolchildren, insisting it be sold at the lowest possible price and refusing royalties so every child could access proper health education.
Most importantly, he treated everyone with dignity. In an era when “floor cases” — patients too poor to secure a bed — were often treated last, David insisted they be treated first.
On December 21, 1966, David married Ranjini Rosemarie Peiris, a trained teacher and member of the Chitrasena dance troupe. Their sons Dishan (1967) and Rukshen (1970) followed.
By 1972, political unrest convinced David and Ranji that their children deserved a safer future. They migrated to Perth with only a few suitcases, about $150 due to currency restrictions, and devastating news: the paediatric post promised to David at Princess Margaret Hospital had been given to someone else the day before departure.
Arriving in July 1972, David secured registration as a paediatrician and general physician, beginning work as senior registrar at the Nedlands repatriation hospital.
David became the only specialist physician and paediatrician living in the Goldfields for four years
A chance advertisement spotted by Ranji changed everything. David became the only specialist physician and paediatrician living in the Goldfields for four years, caring for communities across Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Norseman, Esperance, Kambalda, Southern Cross and even Alice Springs. These were joyful years camping in the bush in their bright orange VW campervan, forging lifelong friendships and learning about life in Australia. Their third son, Ruwan, was born in 1974; his name means “gold”.
In 1976, the family returned to Perth, where David and Ranji built a thriving medical practice in Claremont and later Nedlands. He worked tirelessly — accredited at multiple hospitals, on call constantly, and still travelling monthly to Kalgoorlie with Ranji as his secretary for another decade. In 1979 they built “Orange Isle”, a combined home and surgery on Stirling Highway in Nedlands, named after David’s hometown of Dodanduwa. It became a community landmark and a trusted centre of primary care.
Throughout the 1980s, David expanded his specialist services to Wanneroo Hospital and ran weekly clinics in Perth’s northern suburbs, all while balancing family life, sport, gardening and supporting Ranji’s cultural work — including several public performances of traditional Sri Lankan dance involving the whole family.
He believed deeply in education through travel, taking the family across Asia and on a memorable five-week European adventure in 1989-90, coinciding with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In the 1990s, David was appointed to the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and later the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal as a medical member. He embraced the intellectual challenge of legal reasoning and served with distinction until 2010.
Retirement revealed another talent. Encouraged by Ranji, David took up painting, producing watercolours, acrylics and portraits inspired by his travels. He held two solo exhibitions — for his 75th and 80th birthdays — donating all proceeds to medical research. One of his final works was a mural at Orange Isle inspired by the vineyards of Saint-Emilion.
He continued locum work in remote communities, lectured medical students at Notre Dame University in Fremantle and travelled widely with Ranji.
David passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of service, scholarship, integrity and love.
His wife, three sons, their families, grandchildren, and all who knew him remain deeply proud of the example he set. He loved Sinatra’s song My Way, often smiling and saying, “You know, I too did it my way.” And he truly did.
Henry Arthur David Weerasooriya
Paediatrician, GP, lecturer and artist
Born: Colombo, Ceylon, 1932
Died: Perth, aged 93
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