Sumitte De Soyza

Sumitte deSoyza peacefully entered the hereafter on July 9, 2020. Born January 11, 1934, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sumi was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle, great uncle, and friend. His path through life was a varied and unique one. As a young man, he entered the Roman Catholic priesthood, but soon realized this was not his calling. After leaving the priesthood, he was lucky enough to reunite with and marry Irene, the love of his life and his devoted partner for the next 45 years.

In 1980, they left Sri Lanka and emigrated to the United States, finding a home in the Bronx, New York. Sumi worked as a medical librarian, retiring in 2005. As those who knew him can attest, Sumi was a passionate and spontaneous personality. He was always ready for a lively debate. He loved getting under the hood of a car (the older, the better). He adored his family and spent countless hours playing games and sports with his three children (and countless kids from the neighborhood). He was in full swing in the summer months, pouring out letters from his old Brother typewriter, calling old friends at all hours, and making plans of all shapes and sizes.

Later in life, he was slowed by Alzheimer's; it took some of the spirit but could not touch his soul. His grandkids adored their "Seesee", whose sweet smile and gentle demeanor marked his final years. Through everything – the ups and downs, the highs and lows, there was one constant, and that was Irene. Devoted to Sumi without hesitation or limitation. A life well-lived and well-loved.

Sumi was predeceased by his father, Oliver deSoyza, his mother, Beatrice deSoyza, and his two older brothers, Anian deSoyza and Dallas deSoyza. Sumi is survived by his wife, Irene (nee, Goonewardena), his three children – Sanjeeve (Amy) deSoyza, Neelangani (Seth) Finklestein, and Priyangani deSoyza, and his six grandchildren (Emily, Kira, Ashan, Wolff, Mason, and Samantha).

A special thank you to the staff at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center. The love, kindness, and compassionate care they showed Sumi meant so much. We are ever grateful.

Calling hours will be on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 from 2-4 pm at New Comer Cremations and Funerals, 181 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY 12189. Gathering size, within our chapels will be based on the most current NYS occupancy requirements. Masks are required, and social distancing is to be observed inside and outside of our chapels.

Join Zoom Meeting for 4 p.m. Eastern Time Memorial Service:

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In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Equal Justice Initiative (https://support.eji.org/give/153413/#!/donation/checkout) or the Humane Society of Westchester (https://humanesocietyofwestchester.org/donate-now/).