A Life Well Lived - Nagaratnam (Siva) Sivalingam: 1940 to 2010

Over the course of these four and a half decades, he built one institution after another, most of them standing tall today as the servants of this community and as monuments to the enduring work of Mr. Sivalingam and his peers. Amongst his many achievements – he was the founding president of the Tamil Eelam Society of Canada (TESOC), an advocacy, turned, social service agency serving the community for over 30 years, a founding director of the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation (CAFTARR), a Registered Canadian Charity assisting refugees in Sri Lanka, and a founding trustee of the Hindu Temple Society of Canada, the largest Saiva Temple in North America. In between building these institutions, he represented the interests of Tamil Canadians at numerous municipal, provincial and federal community service meetings, including, the South Asian Consultative Committee (Toronto Police Services), Canadian Immigration and Citizenship forums, and City of Toronto and York Region Race Relations and anti-racism conferences.

Mr. Sivalingam was a strong believer in the religious and spiritual development of the Saiva community in Canada. He was one of the founding trustees of the Hindu Temple Society of Canada, and has served in the past as the president, vice-president, treasurer and secretary. Mr. Sivalingam was the Vice President of the World Saiva Council (Canada Branch) and the Chair of the Federation of Ontario Saiva Organizations. Mr. Sivalingam was also actively involved in the establishment of the Canada Saivite Council for Spiritual Care in Healthcare. The honorary title of “Arudpani Arulaalar” (Provider of Divine Duties) was conferred upon him by the trustees, priests, volunteers and devotees of the Hindu Temple Society of Canada in January 2000.

These achievements and accolades fail to capture the true spirit of the man.

He was a simple and humble human being. He never made his point by shouting, but convinced them with his sheer honesty, sense of fairness, and determination. He was simply motivated by doing the right thing, day in and day out. He is often seen wearing his trademark Vesti and National at many functions in Toronto, be it on the coldest day in February or a warm summer’s night.

He unequivocally believed in the Tamil people, not just in Canada, but around the world. He supported the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka to live in peace, dignity and with agency. To this end, he passionately defended and worked towards their freedom.

In Canada, he ensured that Tamils could live in dignity and equality. He consistently defended the rights of Tamils with every level of government and at every juncture. He has always been a strong and salient force, and a focal point in the community. He made great efforts to ensure that people worked together – not for their own good, but for that of the community.

He was always a true Canadian. He believed in Canadian values of democracy, transparency, peace and justice. He believed in a just society – the type of society he would help build. He lived, and helped define this just society – a society and community in which we can all take pride. He was engaged at every level of civil society and took his responsibility as a regular citizen to heart. He would vote at every election. He would go to endless meetings to understand the issues from different viewpoints. He encouraged his children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces to give back to this community and country in every possible way.

Mr. Sivalingam was born to a family of six, heralding from the academically and culturally rich Town of Elavalai, Jaffna. He pursued his studies at St. Henry’s College Elavalai, and Mahajana College in Tellipallai. He studied architecture in England and at the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto. Mr. Sivalingam was married to Jegajenany Sivalingam for 39 years. They have two daughters, Sivajini and Harini, and three grandchildren, Ganatheeban, Priyatharshini, and Bairavi. Professionally, he practiced as an architect at several major Canadian firms, prior to starting his own firm. He retired in 2008.

Mr. Sivalingam is the recipient of numerous awards to recognize his contributions and achievements, including Thamilar Thagaval Award for community service in February 1992, Thamilar Thagaval Man of the Decades Award, February 2000, Jaffna St. Patricks College Alumni Association Award for promotion of Religion, July 2000, and the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre (CanTYD) Lifetime Achievement Award, November 2003. He is a patron to a number of organizations, a volunteer at many other organizations, and is a member of several organizations, including the Canadian Tamil Congress.

He died peacefully on March 2, 2010, at Centennary Hospital in Scarborough, surrounded by his siblings, children and his beloved wife with the sounds of Aum Nama Shivaya echoing in the background. May his soul attain freedom and may we all take inspiration from a life well lived.

---Aum---

Viewing Details:

Highland Funeral Home

(Sheppard and Warden)

3280 Sheppard Avenue, East Scarborough, ON M1T 3K3

Thursday March 4 5pm-9pm

AND

Friday March 5 5pm-9pm

Last Rites:

Highland Funeral Home (Sheppard and Warden)

3280 Sheppard Avenue East Scarborough, ON M1T 3K3

Saturday March 6 8am-10am

Cremation: Mount Pleasant Crematorium

375 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto, ON M4T 2V8

Saturday March 6 11:00am-12:00noon

For more information, please contact Mrs. Sivalingam at 416-490-8959

Courtesy: TamilCanadian