{{Short description|Ceylonese businessman and politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Hon. | name = Sir Leo Fernando | honorific_suffix = CBE | image = | image_size = 250px | caption = | order = | order1 = | order2 = | constituency_MP = Buttala | parliament = Ceylon | majority = | term_start = 1947 | term_end = 1954 | predecessor = ''Constituency Created'' | successor = Gladwin Kotelawala | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1895|11|18}} | birth_name = Warusahennedige Leo Fernando | birth_place = Pandura, Sri Lanka | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1954|11|30|1895|11|18}} | death_place = | party = United National Party | other_party = | spouse = Lady Irene Fernando | partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married --> | relations = Ronnie de Mel (son-in-law) | children = Mallika de Mel | alma_mater = | occupation = Businessman | profession = | rank = | branch = | unit = | allegiance = | service_years = | awards = | battles = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Sir Leo Fernando''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|commas=on|CBE}} (18 November 1895 – 30 November 1954) was a Ceylonese businessman and politician. He was a member of parliament for the Buttala Electoral District.
== Business career== Warusahennedige Leo Fernando was born on 18 November 1895 in Panadura. He developed a considerable ownership in the transport sector, having established the Panadura Bus Company and owning transport lorries. He also owned many Tea and Rubber plantations in Ceylon, the Gikiyanakande and Meddegedara estates among them. The Gikiyanakande estate was owned previously by Queen Elizabeth's cousin, Lord Elphinstone. The signing of the deeds at the time of purchase by Fernando were done at Buckingham Palace in 1950. He also owned significant shareholdings in Associated Motorways (AMW), Central Hospitals and the Southwestern Bus Company. The Panadura Bus Company was later nationalised in 1958 to form the Ceylon Transport Board.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/081228/FunDay/fundaytimes_2.html|title=When bus services were nationalised|newspaper=Sunday Times|date=28 December 2008|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=40010|newspaper=The Island|title=I prepared my own budgets, budget speeches|first=Ravi|last=Ladduwahetty|date=28 November 2011|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref> At the time of his death in 1954, he owned more than 10,000 acres of tea and rubber plantations, and his Panadura Motor Transit (PMT) owned more than 350 buses, 200 lorries; apart from his significant investments in several top companies in Ceylon. He donated the college hall of Sri Sumangala College in his home town of Panadura.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.island.lk/2010/03/03/features2.html|title=Sri Sumangala College, Panadura, 101 years old|newspaper=The Island|first=Walter|last=Wijenayake|date=3 March 2010|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref>
== Political career == Fernando was elected to the Parliament of Ceylon at the 1st parliamentary election in 1947 representing the Buttala electorate, securing over 77% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/general-election-results/general-election-1947.pdf |title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1947 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka |accessdate=30 June 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He retained the seat at the subsequent parliamentary elections in 1952, with a healthy 70% of the vote<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/web/images/pdf/general-election-results/general-election-1952.pdf |title=Result of Parliamentary General Election 1952 |publisher=Department of Elections, Sri Lanka |accessdate=30 June 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and remained in parliament until his death in 1954.
== Family == He and wife, Lady Irene Fernando, had three daughters and a son. They are Kusumalatha, Mallika, Ranjith and Kanthi. His daughter, Mallika de Mel was the member of parliament for Matara (2001–2003), she had married Ronnie de Mel, a civil servant, who became the member of parliament for Devinuwara (1969–1988), Matara (1994–2000), National List member (2001–2004) and Minister of Finance (1977–1988).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.island.lk/2009/10/16/opinion5.html|title=Mallika Lakshmi De Mel|newspaper=The Island|first=Methsiri|last=Cooray|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref>
== Car collection == Fernando owned a custom built Ford Lincoln Cosmopolitan on which his name was engraved on all the accessories of the car, including the seats.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} He also owned cars built by Rolls-Royce.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
== Honors == He was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1951 Birthday Honours and Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1953 New Year Honours. He was appointed Knights Bachelor in the 1955 New Year Honours, with the appointment being confirmed by the Queen the day before his death on 29 November 1954. The day before his death he was appointed Knights Bachelor on 29 November 1954 in the 1955 New Year Honours.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40369/supplement/47/data.pdf The London Gazette OF FRIDAY, 3ist DECEMBER, 1954]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Members of 1st Parliament of Ceylon}} {{Members of 2nd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernando, Leo}} Category:1895 births Category:1954 deaths Category:Ceylonese Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Ceylonese Knights Bachelor Category:Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon Category:Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon Category:Members of the Senate of Ceylon Category:Sinhalese people Category:20th-century Sri Lankan businesspeople Category:United National Party politicians