Seelawathie Rambukwella Gopallawa (died October 4, 1977) was a Sri Lankan public figure,

First Lady of Sri Lanka First Lady of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා ජනාධිපති ආර්යා Śrī Laṃkā Janādhipathi Aryā; Tamil: இலங்கை முதல் பெண்மணி Ilankai Mutal Peṇmaṇi) refers to the ...

from 1972 to 1977, and wife of former

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

William Gopallawa William Gopallawa (, ; 17 September 1896 – 31 January 1981) was the last Governor-General of Ceylon from 1962 to 1972 and became the first and only non-executive and ceremonial President of Sri Lanka when Ceylon declared itself a republic i ...

. Gopallawa served as the country's inaugural first lady following her husband's assumption of the presidency in 1972.

Biography

Gopallawa was born Seelawathie Rambukwella to L. B. Rambukwelle. She married William Gopallawa, a lawyer and then-member of the

Matale Matale ( Sinhala: මාතලේ, ta, மாத்தளை, translit=Māttaḷai) is the administrative capital city of the Matale District. It is the most urbanised and populated centre in the district. Matale is also the second largest muni ...

Urban Council, on March 8, 1928. The couple had four children: two daughters, Iranganie and Chintha, and two sons, Asoka and Monty. Her youngest son,

Monty Gopallawa Moithra Cuda Banda Gopallawa (16 January 1941 – 26 September 2005) (known as ''Monty Gopallawa'') was a Sri Lankan politician.Minister of Cultural Affairs from 2000 to 2001 and Governor of Central Province from 2002 until 2005. Gopallawa's husband, William Gopallawa, served as the

Governor-General of Ceylon The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch in the Dominion of Ceylon from the country's independence in 1948 until it became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. History There were four governors-general. S ...

from 1962 to 1972. In 1972, Seelawathie Gopallawa became the first

when Sri Lanka became a republic and her husband assumed the presidency. Gopallawa served as the country's inaugural first lady until her death on October 4, 1977. Her ashes were buried in the Gopallawa family cemetery in Dullewa following her cremation. Like her husband, who died in 1981, Seelawathie Gopallawa donated her eyes to the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society following her death. She had lived as the family home in Dharmapala Mawatha,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gopallawa, Seelawathie Date of birth unknown Year of birth unknown 1977 deaths First Ladies and Gentlemen of Sri Lanka Gopallawa family People from Matale