Precision and accuracy were his hallmarks
Probably the last of the Mohicans in the field of licensed surveying and levelling of a special class of professionals, descending from a distant era, Ahmed Farooq Sameer, FSI, passed on serenely in his home on October 19, at age 92.
A product of the Bradby era at Royal College Colombo, Farooq uncle was the son of the Ceylon Moor historian, Mohamed Sameer bin Hajie Ismail Effendi, and hailing from a lineage of Prince Jamaluddin of the pious township of Konya in Turkey. Born on December 28, 1926, Farooq uncle was the younger brother to the two eminent surveyors, the late M.T. Sameer and the late M.I. Sameer, MIEC, both old Royalists.
He initially did a stint at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and the Survey
Department after which he took to the profession of surveying and levelling in which he excelled. His commitment to perfection in impeccably drawing survey plans won him the plaudits and respect of the legal profession, and of many a commercial bank.
Precision and accuracy were his hallmarks, especially as a court commissioner, when he used to give evidence, which carried much weight amongst the judiciary. Many a client used to drop in seeking a certified copy of an old survey plan of the premises he had surveyed, which document he made readily available.
In his youth, Farooq uncle was a music fan, especially into Jazz and Latin, but lost interest as the years waned, and lived in his Elibank Road home in Colombo, a tranquil life of peace and piety, delving deep into the Holy Qur’an, drawing his survey plans meticulously up to the time of his demise. He was a keen follower of international politics, and felt great pains at the predicament of the Muslim world, which he often expressed when we occasionally met with him.
Farooq uncle, the patriarch of a family comprising four brothers and six sisters, apart from his four kids, had 30 nephews and nieces who loved him and occasionally sought advice especially on regulatory matters relating to property, on which subject he was an institution. He was an exemplar of generosity in his charity, while at the same time being thrifty.
His contemporaries included former Chief Justice Parinda Ranasinghe, Charitha de
Silva, Mahdi Hussein, Summa Navaratnam, Dr C.G. Weeramantry, Dr C.D.L. Fernando of cricketing fame, former Royal College VP Viji Weerasinghe, All-Ceylon cricketer Mahesh Rodrigo, ex-MD-SPC Sylvester Edirimanasinghe, famed jeweller Mecci Macan Markar, N.M. Udeshji of Siedles, Chris de Saram of CIC, and many a distinguished personality.
Farooq uncle was decidedly a model father worthy of emulation by the younger generation. His wife, Mazeena aunty, and children Afzun, Fahima, Ashfaq and Lamina and their spouses and grandkids will miss him most. We pray Allah grants him Jennathul Firdous (Heavenly Bliss).