Sunetha Piyasena

She was the loving daughter of Henry and Angelica Halahackone, and the sister of Bernard Halahackone, Sirimavo Hethumuni, and Hiranthi Samarasinghe. She attended St. Bridget's Convent in Colombo and went on to graduate from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1965. Sunetha met her husband, Harischandra Piyasena, while working at Ragama Hospital in 1967 and they were married in 1968. She later pursued postgraduate studies in London, England, in pediatrics and family medicine, earning a Diploma in Child Health (DCH).

Sunetha came to Atlanta in 1974 with her husband and two children, Anusha and Rohan, and began working as a primary care physician at a satellite Grady clinic, where she predominantly served poor and minority communities. She practiced there until 1997, when she retired largely to care for her own mother.

Sunetha built a rich circle of friends in Atlanta and beyond, from the 1970s onward, and remained especially close for decades with many in the local Sri Lankan community. She will be fondly remembered for the wonderful times spent with friends and family — from cricket matches in North Carolina to late nights of singing and dancing baila, and trips to Hilton Head, Orlando, and all around the world with her children and close family and friends. In her later years back in Sri Lanka, she cherished her weekly outings with her “Saturday night crowd.”

Sunetha was also an artist at heart, finding great joy and pleasure in creating works of art through cake making and cake decorating. She generously shared this gift with many friends and their children, creating cakes for countless birthdays, weddings, and other joyful occasions.

She was known for her fierce competitive spirit — a tennis champion in her early days at St. Bridget's, a trophy-winning golfer with her partner at Sugarloaf, and a spirited board game opponent to “her boys,” her three grandsons. Above all, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and a devoted friend to so many who were lucky to know her.

Sunetha is survived by her husband, Harischandra Piyasena; her daughter, Anusha Walpola and her husband Janaka; her son, Rohan Piyasena and his wife Ashwini; and her three grandsons, Roshan Walpola, Arun Piyasena, and Nikhil Piyasena.

A Visitation, Funeral, and a Reception will be held Saturday, September 5th starting at 10:00 AM at H.M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd. NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.

The family kindly requests no flowers.