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Dr Arasa Kumar Savundra was born in Colombo Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on September 12, 1928, to Albert Williams Savundranayagam and Eunice Parimalan. He was the youngest in a family of three children with his older brother Rasa and older sister Ranee. He was educated at Royal College Colombo and entered university to study dentistry at the University of Peradeniya.

It was in the dental clinic as a student that a young Burgher girl turned up for a dental appointment, and Kumar thought she was very nice. This was Carmen, and their long relationship started, although it was kept quiet for many years. The couple met up in England when Kumar was studying for his dental fellowship and then returned to Sri Lanka to work. They were married in Kandy on December 27, 1961. Kumar was accepted into the Orthodontic program at Eastman Dental Hospital, and the couple went back to England for his post graduate studies. He qualified as an orthodontist and their eldest son Andrew was born in London during their second stint in the UK.

Kumar then retuned as the Lecturer in Orthodontics at the University of Peradeniya and was one of the first specialist orthodontists to be trained overseas in Sri Lanka. It was in Kandy that their second child James was born. The young couple had two children and a house in Kandy, but Kumar felt that the future in Sri Lanka was uncertain.

Kumar made the brave decision to leave his position in Sri Lanka and applied for permanent residency in Australia, emigrating in December 1970. He was 42 and in the prime of his career. He was unable to obtain registration in Victoria, where Carmen’s family were all based, but was able to register as an orthodontist in New South Wales only.

Jobs were difficult to find, and Kumar was offered a position in Darwin at the dental hospital, which he took as there were limited opportunities as a new arrival to Australia. Carmen, James and Andrew stayed in Melbourne with Carmen’s family, as she was expecting their youngest brother Chris, who was born in April 1971. After Chris was born the family moved to Darwin for two years, which was considered the end of the earth from Melbourne! And still is!

It was during this time that the Begg Light Wire appliance was popular in Australia and around the world. Kumar was told by the orthodontists visiting the NT from Adelaide that he must learn the “Australian method” and come to Adelaide to do the Begg course. He attended Dr Begg’s course in 1971 in Adelaide and became a Begg practitioner.

Kumar was then offered a position as an orthodontist at the Perth Dental Hospital, which he accepted, and the family moved to Perth in 1973, about a year before Cyclone Tracy devastated the Northern Territory capital. He established a country clinic in Kalgoorlie and entered private practice relatively late in life with a practice in West Perth and Willetton. The Kalgoorlie Clinic started as a service from Perth Dental Hospital, and he was one of the first country orthodontists in WA. He also worked at Fremantle Dental Clinic for many years after he left Perth Dental Hospital.

Kumar was a keen photographer of people and places, especially wildlife, and enjoyed trips back to Sri Lanka’s national parks to get that perfect shot. Prior to his retirement Kumar took up art classes and was also a member of a singing group, which he enjoyed immensely. He completed a Diploma of Art, which he was very proud of. He was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration about 20 years ago, which presented many challenges for him. He wasn’t able to continue much of the art and singing because of his deteriorating eyesight.

He attended the Blind Association (currently known as VisAbility) and attended two to three times per week. He learnt computing, art, pottery, and went to the gym. He also learnt Braille, Japanese and did cooking classes. VisAbility was a great support to him. He was regularly attended the Swanbourne Uniting Church and in later years the Floreat Uniting Church. It was his belief in the Lord that helped him in his journey and become accepting of his visual disability.

Kumar is survived by his wife Carmen, eldest son Andrew (Orthodontist), James (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon) and Chris (Lawyer) and nine grandchildren.

Tribute from Australian Society of Orthodontists (WA)

It is with great sadness that the ASO learned of the passing of Dr Kumar Savundra. Kumar was one of Perth’s most senior and well-respected orthodontists.

Kumar obtained his specialist training at the Eastman in London. He arrived in Perth at a time when there were only 12 specialist orthodontists. Kumar treated thousands of patients throughout his career both in private and public practice. His Kalgoorlie practice was one of West Australia’s first country specialist practices and is carried on by his son Andrew to this day. Kumar practiced at a time when orthodontics relied on tremendous wire bending skills and without the benefit of many of the modern technologies that we benefit from today.

On a personal note, Uncle Kumar was my orthodontist as well as being a very close family friend since I was four. I spent many happy afternoons playing in the “plaster room” next to his surgery after my appointments. Undoubtedly this put me on a path to orthodontics. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met. A true gentleman orthodontist with amazing clinical skills. He will be sadly missed.

Dr Sanj Ratneser
ASOWA President

Tribute from Dr Mithran Goonewardene

Kumar was a gentleman; a real gentleman who had an incredible influence on so many.

Kumar the educator started his career as a faculty member in prosthodontics in Sri Lanka before embarking on training in the UK. He returned to Ceylon to take up the role as the first faculty member in orthodontics. Over the years, it’s incredible how so many of Kumar’s ex-students in Sri Lanka, Australia and the UK commented directly to me of his influence on their development, again stressing his kind and gentle demeanour.

Kumar was a devoted family man, husband, father and grandfather. His generosity and wise counsel were seen through the many acts of kindness beyond his immediate family, always prepared to support those in need. His calm, considered demeanour was appreciated by all who knew him. When interacting with Kumar, these qualities were evident even after brief interactions as he never focused on his personal circumstances but genuinely enquired about your wellbeing and others around you – a truly caring soul whose approach continued right through to his last days in hospital.

As a young dentist, I worked in the Perth Dental Hospital and directly worked with Kumar prior to training in orthodontics. Again, his gentle demeanour was recognised and appreciated by all his colleagues and the numerous patients who were given the gift of his care. Kumar was a great friend of my family, having shared a high school classroom with my father and following relatively similar paths from Ceylon to the UK and ultimately, Australia, where our families frequently interacted in the relatively small Sri Lankan community at the time.

Orthodontics is a wonderful discipline, as te impact of your treatment on so many often lasts a lifetime. Dental education also is so rewarding and is also a discipline in which you develop long-term relationships with patients/parents and young dentists and often play a major role in the development of young personalities into wonderful adults. Kumar had such an impact from his initial role delivering orthodontic care in the public environment through to engaging the private environment both in the city and a rural setting.

As an educator, clinician, family member, gentleman and friend, we celebrate the life of someone so generous with his spirit that will remain part of all who were fortunate to know Kumar.