Sarath Sathiamoorthy, Rest In Peace

sarath-yfrog

Isura said it best ‘I’ve met SARATH only once. But feels like known him for ages’. I met Sarath Sathiamoorthy a few times but I also felt like I’d known him forever through his innovative use of social media for business. The last time I saw him I was buying flowers for my mother at his shop, the Bloom Room. He said he was limiting his work hours for health reasons, though he looked as active and vibrant as ever. Yesterday, however, he died. Sarath Sathiamoorthy has passed away.

Almost any Sri Lankan on Twitter or the like knows Sarath through @cocoveranda. That coffee-shop was one of the first brands to intelligently and respectfully use social media. Coco was actually interesting and responsive in terms of customer service, it wasn’t just another marketing channel.

I think the reason was Sarath. Sarath was an innovative businessman, involved in everything from agriculture to flowers to coffee to bottled water. He was also a nice and decent guy, always personable and friendly. That was always communicated, no matter what the medium.

Look, Coco Veranda and Bloom Room were expensive and I went there infrequently, but I found myself going there for special occasions because A) the stuff was qual and B) Sarath was accessible if I had any issues. And I don’t mean accessible in the sense that I knew the owner and could machang stuff, he was accessible to anyone simply because it was better business and he was that sort of guy. The technology didn’t make him that way, he was that way and he happened to use technology. He was social and social media came naturally.

Sarath Sathiamoorthy was incredibly important to the Sri Lankan online community because he showed us how businesses could succeed online. That it’s not about companies having a Facebook page and offering deals to people but more about companies just showing up and being likable friends and citizens. When so many businesses focus on likes or clicks, Sarath remained focused on human relationships and trust, and it’s important for everyone to remember that this is ultimately the point.

Now that he has passed, of course, his most valuable contributions have been as a husband and a father and friend. What is telling, however, is that so many people consider him a friend. I remember him not as a businessman or an online presence but as a friend. Sarath Sathiamoorthy was 39 years old. He will be sorely missed.

20 Comments

  1. Its one of the most devasting things to happen. He was a good man, a enterprising businessman and a person who was involved in so many charities. He had big visions at a young age and brought them about with so much hard work.

    Colombo is such a small town and this is one person who has known and made so much impact in most of us.

  2. I knew him and Indi I second every thing you have said. I knew him long before everything you mentioned, visiting the flower fields and green houses in the estate close to Nuwera Eliya and his simplicity, humility and unassuming character is what I remember most.

    It was sad seeing his little daughter today at the funeral not knowing what was going on and I trust his young wife a few months pregnant will be able to follow in his footsteps, and I send her my deepest condolences.

  4. me too..very few occasions i had a chance talk to him….even from those dayz hez lik my brother…even last year I met him and gave me a hug……….Such a wonderful person i ever seen….God Bless…..DD!…….Sai Ram……

  5. Your funeral has shown the way how to live in this society. I trust, the huge crowd gathered to the cemetery on that mournful evening , was an evidence of your dutiful social life with good human qualities. Life is very short. But I never trust that you will merge with heaven in the early stage of your valuable life. I am puzzled why good people are leaving very soon. We sadly miss you… May you attain “NIBBANA” —– Hemantha Perera – ACI Ltd.

  6. Your funeral has shown the way how to live in this society. I trust, the huge crowd gathered to the cemetery on that mournful evening , was an evidence of your dutiful social life with good human qualities. Life is very short. People will come. People will go. But I never trust that you will merge with heaven in the early stage of your valuable life. I am puzzled why good people are leaving very soon. We sadly miss you… May you attain “NIBBANA” —– Hemantha Perera – ACI Ltd.

  7. Sarath is a natural inspiration to anyone. He just inspires you to be better. He will be sorely missed indeed.

  8. The news of Sarath’s demise jolted from my reverie like a punch in the guts. Many have said much about him and hardly anything is left for me to add. He was all that, and more. But above all Sarath was a sincere friend. A rare commodity among humans today. He was a Gem, a diamond in the rough, though yet sparkling with hidden luster. If you think what we saw in him was real Sarath, you could not be more wrong. What we saw only a fraction of this fine human being and the best was yet to come. May be God had other plans (great plans) and wanted him back. As a Buddhist it is my religious duty to wish him Nibbana the eternal peace. But, I would selfishly wish that he will come back and do his bit to push the human decency forward.

    My deepest condolences to Roshni and Daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Sathiamoorty (Sr) and especially to my good friend Harry.

    Sai Ram,

    M.Ranjan Fernando.

  9. I came to know Sarath when I took over as Superintendant @ North Punduloya. He was a amiable, unassuming character.

    I was shocked to hear of his untimely demise

    May his soul rest in peace

Comments are closed.