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Remembering: M. J. Augustine Jeyanathan
We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Augustine Jeyanathan, a community activist and member of the Family Service Association of Toronto family. Augustine passed away on Saturday, August 25, 2007 after a brief illness.
Augustine devoted much of his life to improving communities, both here in Toronto and in his native Sri Lanka. After settling in Canada in 1988, he became involved with SACEM (Society for the Aid of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Minorities) and in 1992, was named SACEM's president. During his tenure as president, he forged what would become an enduring relationship between SACEM and Family Service Association of Toronto. Together, our organizations have collaborated on several projects in the areas of health, education and family support to strengthen individuals and families in Toronto's Tamil community. His leadership provided an example of how strong links could be made between the concerns of local communities and the city's community at large.
Augustine was also a longstanding volunteer with FSA Toronto. He sat on several of our task forces and committees, helping to develop important policies for the agency and to strengthen our organizational processes. From 1995 to 2001, he was a member of FSA Toronto's Board of Directors, holding the position of Vice-President between 1997 and 1998.
Augustine's dedication to our agency's mission was unwavering. He often traveled for two hours each way to attend board meetings, and was deeply respected by the staff and volunteers who worked with him. He was visionary and unafraid of hard work. He enjoyed seeing projects to their successful conclusion and believed nothing was impossible as long as you put your time and energy into it.
We at Family Service Association of Toronto will miss Augustine's energy and his insight, but we are thankful that he touched our lives – and the lives of many – with his contributions.
