It is with great sadness that we share that Indrani (Devi) Benjamin (née Durasingham) (called Ammoi by her children) passed away peacefully at home, in her 90th year, on August 17th, 2024, in Victoria, BC, Canada. Ammoi was born in Uduvil, Jaffna, Sri Lanka on January 29th, 1934, as the second of eight children to the late Kanapathypillai George Durasingham and the late Rose Nallamma Durasingham.
Ammoi is predeceased by her husband Bastiampillai Viraspillai Benjamin of Mannar, Sri Lanka (called Appoi by his children) (retired Station Master, Sri Lanka), and her siblings Gnanasakuntala, Dharmadevi, Sarojini, and Princely (survived by Raji Aunty).
Ammoi is survived by her seven children, Beatrice (Sena) of UK, Jerome (Premala) of Canada, Bede (Virgina) of Sri Lanka, Luckshica of Canada, Patricia (Pastor Somanathan) of Sri Lanka, Jordan (Vasanthi) of UK, and Gerald (Delishiya) of Canada; her 13 grandchildren, Anjali, Niroshan, Christina, Anita, Charles, Paul, Chrishanthi, Joanna, Nathananiel, Rebekah, Rachael, Joshua and Daniel, as well as her seven great-grandchildren, Declan, Caitlyn, Úna, Niomi, Brooke, Hannah, and Baby Somanathan. Ammoi is also survived by her siblings Jeyasothy (UK), Kingsley (Sri Lanka), and Wesley (UK).
Ammoi worked as a registered nurse in Sri Lanka at various hospitals, the last posting being Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo. After Appoi’s passing in 1975, she raised her children on her own, and moved to Canada in 1996 to be closer to some of her children.
The family would like to thank Island Health’s Home Support Program, her GPs Dr. Michael Jones & Dr. Emma Jones and their staff, Dr. Stephen Taylor and Dr. Trevor Peddle and their staff at Mayfair Optometry, and Dr. Darren Behn at Victoria Eye, for their incredible care and compassion. Thanks also to the Pharmacists and staff at London Drugs Yates Street, for all their help over the years. We are also grateful to McCall Gardens, especially Cathy Dunfield, for guiding us through these challenging times.
We also appreciate Gerald & Jamilla Endenico and the family, for their love, care and support of “Grandma”, especially during her last few weeks. Thank you also to Manpreet Singh Pannu for helping make the house accessible. Many thanks to Kumar Uncle and Shanthy Aunty for coming immediately in the middle of the night to comfort us, and to all those who came to visit Ammoi in her last few weeks. A heartfelt thank you to Imelda Limbaga, who treated Ammoi as her own mother, calling her Amma, taking care of Ammoi when help was needed, and also being there for her final moments. You helped our family tremendously, and you were Ammoi’s favorite.
To view a recording of the service please click on the video below.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Sharon
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Jeeva My Thangam Ammoi,
Even though we were miles apart, you were always close to my heart. The distance never lessened my love for you, and now, even though you’ve gone to be with the Lord, that love remains as strong as ever.
I think of you often—how you lived such a full life, filled with grace, wisdom, and faith. Your strength amazed me, and your unwavering belief in God’s goodness was a light in my life, even from afar. I wish I could have been there with you more, to hold your hand and hear your voice, but I hope you felt my love across the distance.
I miss our phone calls, your voice always so warm and reassuring, reminding me that no matter how far away we were, we were never truly separated. You were my connection to home, to the roots that shaped me. Now, as I face this world without you, I carry those roots with me, grounded in the love and values you instilled in me.
I imagine you now in Heaven, finally free from the burdens of this world, surrounded by God’s eternal peace rejoined with appoi. I know you’re reunited with loved ones, watching over all of us with that same gentle smile. It comforts me to think of you in that place, where all you’ll be experiencing is joy in the Lord.
Thank you Ammoi, for the sacrifices you made, the love you gave, and the lessons you taught me. Your legacy lives on in me, and I will do my best to honor you in all that I do. I know we will be together again one day, and until then, I’ll hold onto the precious memories we shared.
Until we meet again,
Jeeva
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N. Somanathan Dear Aunty,
I thank God for your eternal entry, for you who believed in the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ, who experienced the joy of salvation through God’s grace, and who lived through the trials of this world, fought the good fight, kept the faith, and finished the race to receive the crown of life.
Moreover, my heart aches as I think of you during this time of separation, for you blessed me with your daughter, Jeevadarshini Patricia, as my life partner. As a servant of Christ, I praise the Lord every day for giving me such a treasure—someone who has rejected worldly pleasures and desires, endured all hardships for Christ alongside me, and dedicated herself to Jesus, raising her own children and also providing for hundreds of helpless orphans, nurturing them and giving them life.
I also remember the respect you showed me as a servant of the Lord and the numerous times you gave me the opportunity to pray for your health needs over the phone.
Finally, I consider it a blessing that in 2019, I had the chance to meet you face-to-face along with your daughter Jeeva.
I want to reaffirm before God that I will continue to be a faithful husband to your precious daughter Jeeva, whom you have given me, and protect her unwaveringly until Jesus returns or until death separates us.
I also firmly promise to continue praying that your grieving family and descendants find comfort and embrace the love of God through the sacrificial offering of Christ Jesus. I bid farewell with the assured hope that we will meet face-to-face on the Lord’s day.
Your loving son-in-law,
N. Somanathan_________________________________________________________________________________________________
அன்பான Aunty,
இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் தியாகபலியின் மேல் நீங்கள் விசுவாசம் வைத்து தேவனுடைய கிருபையினாலே இரட்சிப்பின் சந்தோஷமடைந்த நீங்கள், இவ்வுலகத்தினாலுண்டான பாடுகளின் ஊடே வாழ்ந்து நல்ல போராட்டத்தை போராடி பெற்றுக்கொண்ட விசுவாசத்தைக் காத்துக்கொண்டு ஓட்டத்தை முடித்து உங்களுக்கான ஜீவ கிரீடத்தைப் பெற்றுக்கொள்ளத்தக்கதாக உங்கள் நித்திய பிரவேசத்திற்காய் தேவனுக்கு நன்றி செலுத்துகிறேன்.
மேலும், உங்கள் புத்திரி ஜீவதர்ஷினி பற்றீஷயாவை எனது வாழ்க்கைத் துணையாய் தந்து ஆசீர்வதித்த உங்களை இப்பிரிவின் வேளையில் உங்களை நினைத்து இதயம் கலங்குகிறேன்.
கிறிஸ்துவுக்கு ஊழியனாகிய எனக்கு உலக இன்பங்ளையும் ஆசைகளையும் வெறுத்து கிறிஸ்துவினிமித்தம் எல்லாப் பாடுகளையும் என்னோடு அனுபவித்து, இயேசுவுக்காக இதுவரையும் அர்ப்பணித்து தன் பிள்ளைகளையும், ஏன் பலநூறு திக்கற்ற அநாதைப் பிள்ளைகளையும் வாழ வைக்கவும் ஒரு பொக்கிஷத்தைப் பெற்றுத்தந்ததையிட்டு வாள் நாளெல்லாம் கர்த்தரைத் துதிக்கிறேன்.கர்த்தருடைய ஊழியனாய் எனக்கு நீங்கள் செலுத்திய மரியாதையும், உங்கள் ஆரோக்கியத்திற்கான தேவைகளின் வேளையில் பல முறைகள் தொலைபேசியின்மூலம் உங்களுக்காய் கர்த்தரிடத்தில் விண்ணப்பம் பண்ணவும் எனக்கு வாய்ப்புகளை கொடுத்ததையும் நினைவுகூறுகிறேன்.
கடைசியாக 2019ம் ஆண்டில் நானும் உங்கள் மகள் ஜீவாவும் முகமுகமாய் உங்களைப் பார்க்க எனக்குக் கிடைத்த சிலாக்கியத்தை பெறுமதியாக எண்ணுகிறேன்.
நீங்கள் எனக்கு கொடுத்த உங்கள் பொக்கிஷங்களில் ஒன்றாகிய மகள் ஜீவாவிற்கு இயேசு திரும்பி வரும்வரை அல்லது மரணம் எங்களைப் பிரிக்கும் வரை தொடர்ந்தும் உண்மையுள்ள கணவனாகவும், அவளைக்கலங்காமல் பாதுகாத்துக்கொள்ளுவேன் என்பதை உங்களுக்கு தேவ சமுகத்தில் மீண்டும் உறுதியாய் கூற விரும்புகிறேன்.
உங்கள் பிரிவில் துயருறும் உங்கள் சந்ததிகளும், சந்தானங்களும் ஆறுதல் பெறவும், பிதாவாகிய தேவனின் அன்பை கிறிஸ்து இயேசுவின் தியாகபலியின்மூலம் பொற்றுக்கொள்ளவும் தொடர்ந்து பிரார்த்திப்பேன் என்பதையு உங்களுக்கு உறுதியுடன் வாக்களிக்கிறேன். கர்தருடைய நாளில் முகமுகமாய் உங்களைக் காண்போம் என்கிற உறுதியான நிட்சயத்தோடு விடை பெறுகிறேன்.
உங்கள் அன்பின் மருமகன்.
N. Somanathan
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Mr and Mrs sabapathy I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of Devi Ammama . She was such a special person, and I know how much she meant to you all. I hope you can find comfort in the memories you shared and in knowing that her love will always be with you. Please know that I’m thinking of you all during this difficult time and am here if you need anything.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Maurene, Kennedy, Avinashne, Nathanael Sabapathy’s
We are deeply saddened by the loss of you, Devi aunty/ammamma.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you always.
You will be Truly missed.
Please accept our deepest and heartfelt condolences and know that God loves you.
May the soul of the dearly departed rest in peace.
Jessi Rajan Kadirgamar
Yvonne
Sharon Jerry Fernando
Maurene Kennedy Sabapathy & Avinashne & Nathaniel
Dushy Yogendrakumar pillai &
Yoshua