Lady Evelyn Johanna Publina de Soysa OBE (née Fernando) (23 April 1893 – 28 July 1973) was the third female member of the Senate of Ceylon.
Evelyn Johanna Publina Fernando was born 23 April 1893 in Moratuwa, the daughter of Juan Fernando. She was educated at the Princess of Wales' College in Moratuwa.
On 23 November 1907 she married Ceylonese entrepreneur and philanthropist Wilfred de Soysa.The Holy Emmanuel Church (history) Retrieved 30 January 2015150th Anniversary Publication of the Holy Emmanuel Church, p. 23, Retrieved 30 August 2015 They had eight children: their first son Harold de Soysa was the first Ceylonese Anglican Bishop of Colombo and their second son Cecil de Soysa was the founding Chairman of the Ceylon Tourist BoardSam's contribution to tourism invaluable by Lionel Fernando Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka) Retrieved 16 February 2015Presidential awards for travel and tourism lauded – Shirajiv SIRIMANE Retrieved 19 February 2015 and the Chairman of Ceylon Shipping Lines.Ceylon's Outlook Continues Bleak by H.B.W. Abeynaike (NEW YORK TIMES) Retrieved 16 February 2015Cancer Society's 16th AGM, Sarath Malalasekera Retrieved 16 February 2015Selwood- A Triumph of Design by Tissa Jayatilaka Retrieved 16 February 2015 The couple's third son Terence de Soysa was appointed as the first Sri Lankan Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce100th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF S.T.L.DE SOYSA, A man of vision and principle , The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), Retrieved 30 May 2015Ceylon Chamber of Commerce marks 175 years Ceylon Today Retrieved 16 February 2015April 5, 1942 the day Ceylon escaped Japanese occupation By Gamini de Silva Retrieved 16 February 2015He played the game on and off the field, Tambyah Murugaser Retrieved 16 February 2015 Their fourth son Ryle de Soysa was the opening batsman for the All-Ceylon (national team) from 1938–45 and represented Oxford University and the Sinhalese Sports Club and captained the Royal College, Colombo first XI team to Australia in 1936.Player Profile ESPN Cricinfo.com Retrieved 23 January 2015Diplomatic Moves: Life in the Foreign Service, by Sally James, pp.42,47,49–50. (I. B. Tauris) Ryle de Soysa scholarships for deserving students Sunday Times. Retrieved 30 January 2015
In 1949 she co-founded the Association of Ceylon Women in the UK (now known as Sri Lankan Women's Association in the UK), with Laurel Casinader, which is the longest surviving Lankan association in London. De Soysa served as the Association's inaugural president from 1949 until 1951. In 1950 she was awarded an MBECeylon : and in 1956 an OBE,Ceylon list: for her work in social services and charities.
In April 1959 de Soysa was appointed as a member of the Senate of Ceylon and remained a senator until 1963.
She died on 28 July 1973 at the age of 80.
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