1927
2016
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Sunil Miguntenna Kariyakarawana
December 6, 2021
Professor Gair was such an outstanding academic, great teacher and a wonderful friend to anyone who crossed path with him. He never got tired of helping others, working for those who were in need and he will always go an extra mile to do everything he can do to make others life easy and pleasant. Man with sense of humour, quality and gratitude for the slightest favour he received. Jim (as he was fondly known was a great friend of Sri Lanka in every way, as his student, collegue and friend I learnt so much from Jim he was the kindest teacher I have ever met. His academic work was always thorogh, clear and strong. May you attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana dear Jim!
Sunil Kariyakarawana
December 6, 2020
Jim was such an amazing human being with so much wisdom, compassion and passion for life! He never stopped learning whether it is a culture, language or people. What a loss to see you go Jim I'm ever so indebted to you, Barbera and Professor Karunatilake for all what you have done in my education. Thank you!
Milan Lin-Rodrigo
October 21, 2017
My Beloved professor and friend. No memorials are needed; you are always in my heart. Milan
Heloise Perera
October 20, 2017
A brilliant, often entertaining, patient and kind, beloved teacher. I was his student, Teaching and Research Assistant in Sinhala at Cornell, and first met him in1971.. It is impossible to put into words what a great experience this was. I respected him highly and will never forget him. I will always be grateful to him for taking the time to visit my parents when he was in Sri Lanka, and for assuring them that I was doing well at Cornell. I am sad that I am sending this many months after his passing . I learnt so much from him. I visited him and his wife in 2005 in the U.S. but that was the last time I saw him. I wish we had kept more in touch but the war here made things difficult. It is so sad to accept he is no more. May God keep him safe.
Linda Waugh
January 18, 2017
Jim Gair was a very special human being who was a mentor, friend, and trusted colleague. He had intelligence, insight, wisdom, warmth and humanity. When I arrived at Cornell in 1971 he helped me accommodate to the department and university and we worked very well together from then until his retirement in 2000 (and my departure for the University of Arizona). I'm so sorry he is gone.
-Linda Waugh
Steven Bonta
January 8, 2017
What sad tidings. Jim Gair was my mentor, linguistic guru, and friend, and I was his last student before he eased into well-deserved retirement. Those of us who studied Sinhala, Pali, and Tamil with Jim can appreciate his superlative linguistic gifts; he probably mastered the difficult Sinhala language to a degree never surpassed by a foreign speaker in modern times. Jim was also kind and considerate, bereft of the deficiencies of character typical of many elite academics.
Mansfield University Old college friends
January 2, 2017
Alex we just read about yout father. Thoughts of condolences to you and your family and friends from your old MU Maple floormates and many more friends campus-based.
January 1, 2017
I met my beloved professor James W. Gair and his wife Prof. Barbara Lust at Cornell University in 1979. I worked with Prof. Gair until 1997 assisting him with Sinhalese and Tamil teaching programs, while completing my PhD. at Cornell. I maintained contacts with him until his demise. He was a fountain of knowledge not only in his own field of linguistics but in many other fields. Jim is a noble man in every sense and I will miss him forever. I am writing this from Sri Lanka, Jim's beloved country. May he rest in peace.
Milan Lin-Rodrigo, PhD.
Sunil Kariyakarawana
December 31, 2016
You have lit the life of so many in your life through you knowledge, skills and wisdom, may your journey too throughout be lit by the light of all the saints and sages!
Donald & Maurine Hoyt
December 30, 2016
Alex, We are very sorry to hear of the passing of your father.
Sunil Kariyakarawana
December 26, 2016
I had the good fortune to work under "JIM" (Professor Gair for over 7 years teaching Sinhala and Linguistics at Morrill Hall Cornell and complete my PhD on Wh-Questions and Focus in Sinhala. Though at times I had to fight with Jim to convince of the arguments in my research he was so magnanimous enough to keep the academic disagreements without affecting personal friendship. He was an amazing human being with so much memory, knowledge and skills, humanity and wit. As a student of him I truly am indebted to him for he was instrumental in every success in my life. Dear Jim, may you attain supreme bliss of Nirvana - Sunil Kariyakarawana (Lelwala Sumangala).
Tom & Joanie Yetzer
December 26, 2016
Alex ~
Sincere condolences on the loss of your
father, who led a most fascinating life.
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