Anton Tisseverasinghe Wellness Fund
Donation protected
I met Anton Tisseverasinghe in the summer of 2005 when I was starting my first year as a CSTC board member responsible for overseeing the tennis program. Anton, who had been the tennis pro at the Nomahegan Swim Club and Westfield Indoor Tennis, had decided to leave Nomahegan to join CSTC and so we started the summer program together.
If only for personal reasons, I was so happy he did.
“Don’t worry, sir!”
That was Anton’s response to me whenever I started to get stressed over scheduling well over a hundred children who participated in the daily clinics, organizing tournaments and meeting the needs of all the members who utilized the courts much more than they do today.
“Hey Anton.! I got six emails last night with requests to move kids from the Tuesday…"
“Don’t worry, sir!”
It didn’t take more than our first three days together to realize that with Anton’s organizational skills and commitment to CSTC, there was no need to worry. He never missed a beat. He never got flustered. He just took care of everything. He loved his work, he loved working with kids, he loved working with parents and he always, always went beyond the requirements of his stated responsibilities to enhance CSTC and most important, the lives of those members who came in contact with him.
Anton the builder and self appointed maintenance professional who took it upon himself to repair and paint the courts, plant flowers, pull weeds, build a shed to store tennis equipment and to ensure that the courts were playable and free of debris — often on his own time and with materials he paid for
Anton the mentor, who hired and encouraged older CSTC kids to work with the younger ones participating in the summer clinics
Anton, the giver of time, whose 90 minute clinics often went for two hours plus with even more time to help one or two individuals work on certain skills
Anton, the giver of gifts, who often distributed tennis racquets, shirts, and other tennis related items to kids and parents, almost all paid for with his own money
In addition, Anton and his wife, Imali continue to operate a program they started in Sri Lanka to support disadvantaged children in their home country. Details of their efforts and contributions there are worthy of another several paragraphs.
In late August of this year, Anton was diagnosed with cancer. He had a 12 hour operation the first week of September to remove a cancerous growth in his neck and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at a hospital in Philadelphia. Some of Anton's procedures and rehabilitation services are not covered by insurance and members of CSTC have taken it upon themselves to form a committee to help raise funds to defray those costs.
We are hoping that you can make a financial contribution to assist in our efforts.
For the last nine years, Anton has been an integral part of the CSTC community, a gifted and generous man who’s passion for people transcends his passion for tennis.
I am happy to know him and even happier to call him my friend.
Former CSTC Tennis Chairman and Current Member
If only for personal reasons, I was so happy he did.
“Don’t worry, sir!”
That was Anton’s response to me whenever I started to get stressed over scheduling well over a hundred children who participated in the daily clinics, organizing tournaments and meeting the needs of all the members who utilized the courts much more than they do today.
“Hey Anton.! I got six emails last night with requests to move kids from the Tuesday…"
“Don’t worry, sir!”
It didn’t take more than our first three days together to realize that with Anton’s organizational skills and commitment to CSTC, there was no need to worry. He never missed a beat. He never got flustered. He just took care of everything. He loved his work, he loved working with kids, he loved working with parents and he always, always went beyond the requirements of his stated responsibilities to enhance CSTC and most important, the lives of those members who came in contact with him.
Anton the builder and self appointed maintenance professional who took it upon himself to repair and paint the courts, plant flowers, pull weeds, build a shed to store tennis equipment and to ensure that the courts were playable and free of debris — often on his own time and with materials he paid for
Anton the mentor, who hired and encouraged older CSTC kids to work with the younger ones participating in the summer clinics
Anton, the giver of time, whose 90 minute clinics often went for two hours plus with even more time to help one or two individuals work on certain skills
Anton, the giver of gifts, who often distributed tennis racquets, shirts, and other tennis related items to kids and parents, almost all paid for with his own money
In addition, Anton and his wife, Imali continue to operate a program they started in Sri Lanka to support disadvantaged children in their home country. Details of their efforts and contributions there are worthy of another several paragraphs.
In late August of this year, Anton was diagnosed with cancer. He had a 12 hour operation the first week of September to remove a cancerous growth in his neck and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at a hospital in Philadelphia. Some of Anton's procedures and rehabilitation services are not covered by insurance and members of CSTC have taken it upon themselves to form a committee to help raise funds to defray those costs.
We are hoping that you can make a financial contribution to assist in our efforts.
For the last nine years, Anton has been an integral part of the CSTC community, a gifted and generous man who’s passion for people transcends his passion for tennis.
I am happy to know him and even happier to call him my friend.
Former CSTC Tennis Chairman and Current Member
Organizer
Ralph J. Englese Rjets5@verizon.net
Organizer
