Thilantha Senarath Gunasekara

Thilantha Senarath Gunasekara, born on February 1, 1959, in Sri Lanka, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri, surrounded by his loving family. Thilantha was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and he will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Yamuna, and their two sons, Sasika and Dinuka, and his daughters-in-law, Tharuka Jayasingha (Sasika's wife) and Janithri Wickramanayake (Dinuka's wife). Thilantha derived immense joy from his role as a grandfather to Kimaya and Yenul. His family was his greatest treasure, and he cherished every moment spent with them.

Thilantha also leaves behind his sister, Nirmalie Fernando; brothers, Irusha and Jai; and brothers-in-law, Amal Fernando and Walter Boteju; and sisters-in-law Lalithangi and Dushanthi. He is remembered fondly by a host of other family members and friends who were fortunate to have shared part of their lives with him.

Thilantha received his primary and secondary education at Nalanda College, Sri Lanka, and was employed as the General Manager at Metropolitans, Sri Lanka and Singhagiri (Samsung) Sri Lanka, before moving to California, in 2007, where he was an accountant at Sunland Group and then at Taste Nirvana until 2023. During the last year of his life, he moved to St Louis, Missouri along with his, wife to be closer to his younger son, Dinuka and his family.

Throughout his life, Thilantha had a great love for traveling, often exploring new places and making new memories. He was an avid woodworker, a handyman who could figure out how to fix anything around the house and a gardener, spending countless hours creating, fixing and cultivating with skill and passion. Music brought him joy, and he enjoyed listening to songs from ABBA and other music from the 80s that resonated with his soul. In addition, he had a penchant for watching documentaries, feeding his curiosity about the world.

Thilantha was preceded in death by his father, P.S Gunasekara; mother, Irene Gunasekara; and sister, Roshanara (Roshi) Boteju. Their memories lived on through him, and he carried their legacies in his heart.

Thilantha’s life was rich with love, laughter, and exploration, and he leaves behind a feeling of warmth that will forever live on in the hearts of his family and friends.

A visitation will be held in his honor on August 17, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, followed by a funeral service from 1:00 PM to 3.30pm at Newcomer Funeral Home, West County, located at 2211 Clarkson Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005.