Appreciation

Daphne Lord

Tribute to Daphne Lord

With a warm smile and outstretched hands,  she graciously welcomed anyone and everyone who had the good fortune to walk into her world. Friends, relatives, teachers, students, or simply those in dire need ….. she always had time for them all…. That was her most human quality.
Daphne was a legend in her lifetime… a pioneer in education and in the art of English speech and drama. She made the language of the world accessible and affordable to students young and old in her hometown, Kotahena and gradually over a lifetime of dedication to teaching, spread her talents, in teaching elocution to the whole nation.
The DLS school of Speech and Drama was a leading school in the country and Daphne’s pioneering efforts put so many students, now leaders in their professions, on their feet,  with the correct use of the queen’s language. She also gave a solid foundation to many teachers who followed her path to set up schools on their own.
It is not an easy task to count how many students went through her magic touch but today the school has spread its wings to all big cities in the country.Her AlmaMater Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena was the biggest beneficiary of Aunty Daphne’s talents and skills.
She was the creator and producer of many well-known dramas,  staged by students of Good Shepherd Convent. Daphne spared no pains when she undertook to produce a performance,which enthralled her audiences. She brought Christmas cheer to everyone in her world with her nativity plays and Christmas parties.
But Daphne’s greatest treasure, pride and joy were her family of six; three girls and three boys and her husband Maurice. Her dear husband, children and their spouses and their children made her life complete.
To have known Daphne as a close friend and to have a lifelong friendship with her and her family, is a gift from god. May the good Lord Bless and Keep her.
Ranjini Jayasinghe