U.N. Gunasekera BSc Eng (London), MI.Struct. UK, FIE is considered to be Sri Lanka's greatest construction magnate of the 20th century. [1] [2]
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U.N.Gunasekera, born in 1922, was educated at Royal College, Colombo where he was the Captain of the Rugby team, winning the coveted Bradby shield, he was also a member of the Cricket team and Athletics team. He also played for the Sri Lanka Public Schools Rugby Team and was known to be one of the best young rugby players of that era. He also held the All-Island Public Schools record for the 220 yard hurdles. He obtained his degree in Engineering from the University of London after completing the University of Cambridge Higher Diploma. He was the President of the Institute of Engineers in Sri Lanka for an unprecedented five years.
U.N. Gunasekera is a strong Buddhist and a prominent philanthropist[1].
He married the daughter of Sir Ernest de Silva, the Cambridge-educated business magnate and Founder-Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon, making the lineage one of the most prominent traditionally-rich families in Sri Lanka[1]. He is the grandson of Gate Mudaliyar Abraham Mendis Gunasekera Wijaya Sri Wardana (Founder of the Sinhala-English Dictionary) and Great-Grandson of Mudaliyar Bastian Mendis Gunasekera.