Name Theodore Panabokke Role Politician | Died 1989 | |
Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke (11 May 1909 – 1989) was Sri Lankan politician, lawyer and diplomat. He was a former Junior Minister of Justice and Agriculture, Member of Parliament and Ceylon's High Commissioner to India. He was the Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya.
Theodore Braybrooke Panabokke was born on 11May 1909 the son of Sir Tikiri Bandara Panabokke Adigar, first Minister of Health in the State Council of Ceylon and Manthri Keppetipola. He was educated at Royal College Colombo and at the Colombo Law College. As his father, he became a Proctor and practiced in Gampola.
In 1947 he successfully contested the general elections for the first Parliament of Ceylon as a representative of the Galaha electorate. He was a Member of Parliament from 1947–1956 and held the post of Parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Justice and Agriculture in the D. S. Senanayake cabinet. During this time he was a member of the Kandyan Peasantry Commission and was appointed as Chairman of the People’s Bank in 1965.
From 1976-1977 he was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sri Lanka Freedom from Hunger Campaign. In 1978 he was appointed High Commissioner to India and served till 1982, thus becoming the only father son pair to hold the post. From 1984–1986 he was Chairman of the Nation Builders’ Association.
He was appointed Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya in 1986 and held office until his death in 1989.
Panabokke married Somawathie Nugapitiya, daughter of Kuda Banda Nugapitiya in 1939 and had two daughters. His home was Elpitiya Walauwa in Gampola.