TRIBUTES have been paid to the respected activist, academic, author and grandfather Luckshan Abeysuriya who has died aged 82.

Mr Abeysuriya, who lived in Ulverston, had been suffering from cancer. He died at Furness General Hospital on January 11 and his funeral was at Barrow Crematorium last Wednesday.

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A retired accountant and Labour Party supporter, he dedicated his time to a number of causes, serving on the boards of both Amnesty International-UK and the United Nations Association South Lakes.

Born in Galle, Sri Lanka, and the son of the local GP, Mr Abeysuriya won a scholarship to Cambridge to study politics and economics.

However, when government funding was not available in time he stayed in Sri Lanka to study at Ceylon University.

After university, he taught in Sri Lanka before moving to London in 1959 to work as an accountant for the British Oxygen Company, before retiring aged 55 and moving first to Grange-over-Sands, and then to Ulverston five years ago.

It was in his retirement that Mr Abeysuriya was able to dedicate himself to the things he cared about. He was a keen marcher and would often go to London to support certain causes, including opposing Tony Blair's decisions regarding war in Iraq.

His wife Barbara said: "He was a very committed man when he had his mind set on something. He was caring and generous

"He always kept himself busy. He had a little business where he did people's tax returns which he was doing right until the end.

"His hobby was writing to newspapers. He was always interested in current affairs. He never sat back at home, when when he was ill.

"Every morning he would get the bus into Ulverston to read the papers and keep up. He was always interested in things."

A keen sport fan, Mr Abeysuriya was also a devoted follower of Sri Lankan cricket and Tottenham Hotspur.

He also maintained his interest in politics for his whole life, and used his knowledge to secure a masters in international relations from Lancaster University.

He went on to write four books, the latest an investigation into Ukraine's journey into the European Union.

An earlier project saw him given privileged access to The Hague to research his book - 'The UN War Crimes Tribunal in Former Yugoslavia'.

Mr Abeysuriya is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.