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Elina Jayewardene (née Bandara Rupasinghe; 15 December 1913 – 17 November 2007) was a Sri Lankan heiress and social worker, who was the wife of the second President of Sri Lanka, J. R. Jayewardene and was the First Lady of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1988. Elina Jayewardene was known for her social work; she was the founder of the Seva Vanitha Movement.

She was born Elina Bandara Rupasinghe, to Gilbert Leonard Rupasinghe, a Notary Public who was a successful businessman, and his wife Nancy Margaret Suriyabandara. Educated at home, she married J. R. Jayewardene, who was an Advocate, on 28 February 1935. Ravindra "Ravi" Vimal Jayewardene, their only child, was born soon after. Elina and her husband settled at Jayewardene's parents house Vaijantha, and later moved to their own house Braemar in 1938, where they remained the rest of their lives, when not holidaying at Pradeep Jayewardene House in Mirissa.

Elina Jayewardene died on 17 November 2007 at the age of 93.

References

1. "India may train Sri Lankan troops". Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
2. Humble son of a humble President
3. Madam Elina Jayewardene
4. Elina Jayewardene passes away

v t e First ladies of Sri Lanka
Seelawathie Gopallawa Elina Jayewardene Hema Premadasa Wimalawathi Kumarihami Shiranthi Rajapaksa Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari Ioma Rajapaksa Maithree Wickremesinghe

• 1913 births
• 2007 deaths
• First ladies and gentlemen of Sri Lanka
• Jayewardene family
• Sinhalese women
• J. R. Jayewardene