Goodbye, Athula! Athula’s story is compelling. He came to the United States in 1983 to escape the unrest of civil war in his native country of Sri Lanka. In his home land, Athula had graduated with a degree in hotel management and worked for a Sri Lankan airline in the catering division. Hired at Curtis in 1986, under then Headmaster Willard “Baddy” Badham, as a member of the maintenance team, he rose within five months to the position of supervisor, which he has held ever since. Fulfilling this critical role, he has been a steadfast partner of 2 facilities managers, 5 heads of school, and 33 Parents Association boards—supervising the setup and breakdown of as many Curtis Fairs!
“Athula represents all that is good about Curtis. Kind, generous, full of life and fun, playful, hard-working and always, always ready to help.” —Clay Stites, former Headmaster (1992-1997)
After so many years making the 70-mile round trip to and from school each day, Athula leaves to spend more time with his wife, Asoka, and daughter, Amali (’12), and to travel. Asked what he will miss most about Curtis, he doesn’t skip a beat: “Everything. Students, parents, teachers—everyone. This is my second home.” In fact, Athula has cared for Curtis the way he would his own home, economizing where he sees opportunities to save and stewarding the landscape as he would tend his own garden. Jeff Albert, Director of Facilities, points out that Athula selected and planted many of the trees that make Curtis such a beautiful place to work and learn—a legacy that will continue to enhance the experience of everyone who steps foot on campus. Jeff notes, “Curtis School would not be the school it is today if it weren’t for Athula. Not only was
he instrumental in making the campus beautiful, he did it with love and care for all.”
Jeff and Athula surveying the campus on a typical day to make sure everything is in top condition (2018).
The heads of school Athula served have been touched by his humility and commitment to Curtis. Current Head of School Meera Ratnesar shares a special kinship with Athula, as she also has roots in Sri Lanka. She says, “For me as a young leader, he has shown me how to listen with compassion, how to be flexible in thought and action, and how to lead with humility. Most importantly, he introduced me to the soul of Curtis and taught me to cherish it. I could not have asked for a better teacher and mentor than the one I found in Athula and I am forever grateful.” Peter Smailes, Headmaster from 2009 to 2015, notes that “one of Aturugirige's greatest gifts [is] he gets along with everyone. Humble to the core, he has worked tirelessly with anyone to get any job done. No task is beneath him, and no task is beyond him. No one is below him, and no one is above him. What an extraordinary gift he has been to us all.” Reflecting on Athula, former Headmaster (19921997) Clay Stites asks rhetorically, “Was there anyone prouder of the way the campus looked than Athula? Or anyone who cared more about it? He has been the heart and soul of the school … Athula represents all that is good about Curtis. Kind, generous, full of life and fun, playful, hard-working and always, always ready to help.”
Meera Ratnesar and Athula, here enjoying International Lunch Day 2019, share a special kinship, as both have roots in Sri Lanka.
“Curtis School would not be the school it is today if it weren’t for Athula. Not only was he instrumental in making the campus beautiful, he did it with love and care for all.”—Jeff Albert, Director of Facilities
Below: Mimi Petrie, Director of Admissions, with Athula on his 2019 Valentine's Day birthday. Both came to Curtis 33 years ago. She is "privileged to have worked with him both as a parent volunteer and a colleague. He has always had the most positive attitude and shown complete commitment to excellence in everything he does. His contribution to Curtis is immeasurable."
Now we will have to let go of Athula. While we say goodbye today, we do not say farewell forever. Characteristically, Athula has promised to “return to help out” (rather than just visit) on our most important days of community, including Fairs, International Lunch Days, and Grandparents Days—and because we cannot let go, we will hold him to his promise. Proud father Athula and 4th grader Amali shared their first Dads Day at Curtis in 2010.
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At the end of the school year, we say goodbye to Athula Aturugirige, Maintenance Supervisor at Curtis for the past 33 years. Thirty-three years is a long tenure in any position or organization, and Athula is one of the longestserving employees in our school’s history. The number 33 cannot begin to tell the story of Athula’s dedication. Those 33 years comprise many thousands of days of personal attention and loving care from Athula as he supervised the maintenance team and saw to innumerable details behind the scenes to make each school day, meeting and event run smoothly for our community.
