Lalith Wijayasuriya

Lalith Shantilal Wijayasuriya, M.D., age 79, died quietly at his home in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 1, 2025. Lalith is survived by his wife of 46 years, Judy, and his two daughters, Mikel Wijayasuriya and Kylen Wijayasuriya of Birmingham, Alabama, his two sons-in-law, Mikel’s husband, Matthew Finley, and Kylen’s husband, Oleg Kuznietsov, and his two grandchildren, grandson, Tucker, and granddaughter, Sofia. Lalith’s immediate family also includes his two sisters, Chandrika Sivakumaran of London, England, and Malkanthie McCormick, M.D. of Lexington, Kentucky, their husbands, and Lalith’s four nieces and one nephew. Dr. W is also survived by his extended family of his treasured X-Ray techs and staff, his trusted medical colleagues, especially his LRA partners, his Sri Lankan “batchmates”, his St. Thomas and Royal College alumns, and his good friends in Lafayette, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, Alabama, California, and New York.

Lalith was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and his formal education was completed there before he migrated to the United States in 1973. Lalith attended St. Thomas and Royal College before completing his medical degree at the University of Ceylon in 1972. Thus, Lalith was a practicing physician for 53 years.

Lalith was an Interventional Radiologist, certified by the American Board of Radiology. Before migrating to the US, he was a practicing physician in Sri Lanka and also licensed by the General Medical Council, UK; but, like most other immigrants, Lalith was required to complete US prerequisites. He did his Internship and then Residency in Radiology at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, New York, having medical licenses in New York and Maryland. Lalith joined the US Air Force and was a Staff Radiologist and then Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. He met and married Judy in Montgomery, and together they moved to New York where Lalith completed his Fellowship in Angiography and Interventional Radiology at Albany Medical Center Hospital. In July, 1981, Lalith and Judy moved to Lafayette where Lalith was employed as a Staff Radiologist at Lafayette General Medical Center. Lalith worked at LGMC for 32 ½ years, until his retirement in December, 2013. Lalith did locum work after retiring, especially enjoying his work at Southern Urology.

Lalith truly treasured his position as a physician. At the recognition of his 40 years in practice by the Lafayette Parish Medical Society on Doctors’ Day, 2012, Lalith wrote in his personal statement:

“It is hard for me to realize that I have been in medical practice for 40 years – well, my slower gait, my relaxing memory, my eyeglasses, and, of course, my receded gray hair should all be hints that time has gone by --but, I still remember my medical training days and my early days at LGMC as if they were yesterday.
Medicine has changed so much in the last 40 years, especially radiologic techniques. When I first started practicing, radiologists were stuck in the basement with no windows, hardly ever knowing that anything existed outside the stack of jackets beside their screens.
Today, with the new techniques, I am able to work more closely with referring physicians and to have more consultations and follow-up interactions with patients. Recently, I went home completely exhilarated about the success of a case, and, when Judy asked why I was so happy, I replied, “I love my job!”

After Lalith’s retirement, some older physicians were again recognized on Doctors’ Day, 2015. Lalith wrote another personal statement and said:

“I always imagined retirement would consist of leisurely, relaxing days – but, so far, retirement has been so busy that I sometimes find myself wondering how I ever found the time to go to work.
Last November, our first grandchild, Tucker, was born. And, I have to say that I agree with all my friends who kept telling me that being a grandparent was the best feeling in the world. Being around Tucker and watching him grow are major components of my life.
My life of retirement has no organization, for I refuse to set an alarm clock unless it is absolutely necessary. I like having time to read all the e-mails from friends, to check out Facebook and Dandy Don, read books on my Kindle, watch television, go to the movies, work in my vegetable garden, go to the gym, and cook.
My mother taught me to cook when I first came to the United States – it was either cook or starve, since there are very few restaurants which feature Sri Lankan dishes (and none in Lafayette). So, I learned to cook and found that I really enjoy grocery shopping and being in the kitchen. (Judy does all the clean-up!!)
I have always loved to travel, and hoping that my good health continues, Judy and I plan to continue touring the 50 states and other countries around the world. We are spending a month in Sri Lanka this summer (during the countdown days between the College World Series to the kickoff of football season).
I am still an avid sports fan. I still have my season tickets for Saints football, LSU football, LSU men’s basketball, and LSU baseball. So, most weekends, I can be found in Baton Rouge. (If you watch LSU baseball, check out the stands when there is a right-handed batter and I might just wave at you!!) “

So many adjectives describe Lalith -- adventurous, curious, charismatic, generous, strong-willed, tenacious. He was just a “fun” human being who truly embraced living life to the fullest.

Having fun was truly manifested for Lalith with his membership in the Krewe of Gabriel. Lalith loved all the Mardi Gras festivities – riding the floats and throwing beads, dancing at the balls, becoming a Duke, but, most of all, he enjoyed presenting his daughters as debutants and having both being chosen as Maids to the King of Carnival.

Lalith liked to drive and enjoyed road trips -- one of his favorites being the drive from Salt Lake up to Idaho Falls, then to Yellowstone and on across the Dakotas, seeing Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse, with huge buffalo occasionally surrounding the car. He also loved driving to out of the way places. (An added bonus to these trips was if Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Brown, or the Eagles were playing anywhere nearby.)

Lalith appreciated music of all genres—rock, pop, country, Cajun, and especially classical, since during his younger days in Dehiwala, his sister immersed their home with classical music. He never lost his appreciation of Sri Lankan music and prized the videos and music produced by two of his medical school friends who have a Sri Lankan band in London.

Lalith incessantly bought tickets for every musical event that seemed interesting, traveling near and far with his family to partake. And, if his family could not use the tickets, he put the tickets on the bulletin board in the X-ray department for the use of anyone interested. (This gesture is often recounted by a renowned opera singer who credits Dr. W’s generosity of opera tickets as the start of his career.)

Lalith really liked NYC, especially Broadway, thus, he bought tickets for all the hit shows -- if they appealed to him – no matter the cost. Also, when he and his family trekked North, he had the added benefit of enjoying the cuisine of the Big Apple.

Travel was a constant in Lalith’s life. Having moved from one side of the globe to the other, he seemed determined to explore and enjoy as much of the world as he could. His travels took him all over the Continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii, always with Judy and many times with the girls and their families. He and Judy enjoyed travels to Europe many times, cruising down the Danube, going to UK often to visit Lalith’s sister in Manchester, England, and his friends in London, touring France and Russia (with Mikel and Kylen, too), touring Norway and Germany (with Judy to meet Kylen’s ship when Kylen was working for Royal Caribbean), cruising the Greek Islands, touring Italy, and visiting Portugal with Lafayette friends. Lalith and his family toured Egypt, went on Safari in Kenya, toured in Australia, New Zealand, and in China. (Experiencing the Great Wall was a great memory.) He and his family also enjoyed holidays in the Caribbean, especially sailing in a catamaran, and they ventured into the neighboring countries of Mexico and Canada on several occasions. Lalith and Judy made their only trip to South America when they accompanied a group of Lafayette friends to a colleague’s home in Brazil. Lalith toured India with that same group of Lafayette friends. He traveled alone to Ireland, staying in his beloved B&B’s and driving from one music venue to another. Lalith went back to his home country as often as possible, taking his daughters regularly from ages 3 (Kylen) and 6 (Mikel) until Mikel entered college. After college and marriage, Mikel and Matthew toured Sri Lanka with Lalith and Judy. Lalith wanted his girls to always be aware of their Sri Lankan heritage. Lalith last visited Sri Lanka in 2018, after which COVID and, later, health issues curtailed his travels.

Lalith loved to eat! He was an enthusiast of all food – from street vendors to Michelin Star restaurants. In his travels, he ate the food and dishes of the area and relished the experience, hardly ever finding anything he did not like. Lalith was a fantastic cook, collecting recipes by the hundreds. Lalith embraced the Cajun culture and reveled in the cuisine of the area.

Lalith was community oriented and supported local organizations. The Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA), United Way, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, and Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association were all groups which gained from his volunteering and generosity. Also, he never forgot his Sri Lankan community and was always supportive of his friends’ humanitarian projects back home.

As a Buddhist, Lalith believed that what mattered most were kindness and compassion toward others. He tried to live by these simple Buddhist virtues, and many people can attest that on many occasions he succeeded magnanimously.

Lalith was a good man who loved his family, his home, and his animals, always enjoying the companionship of his German Shepherds and numerous cats. He doted on his daughters and wife, always including them in his adventures. His sense of humor wove itself through his life with inside jokes, playful pranks, and a home filled with laughter. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Lalith leaves behind a legacy of wisdom, adventure, and love.