Zacky Jabbar’s untimely death: Fond memories will continue to linger

BY SURESH PERERA

The heart-wrenching news of the untimely death of senior journalist Zacky Jabbar (60) left his colleagues at The Island devastated.

Nobody expected Zacky to make a silent exit because that was not the way he lived – a lively character who always made his presence felt.

Knowing his penchant for travel, his absence was no cause for immediate concern, but it was only after calls to him went unanswered for too long that inquiries were made from his friends and acquaintances. However, they had neither seen nor heard from him for some time.

It was at that point his brother Zalman was contacted after much effort as Zacky was typically a private person who kept details of his family circle close to his chest. His privacy was tightly guarded.

He lived alone at his home in Kumaragewatte, Pelawatte. And that was where his brother found him dead last Wednesday.

Calls poured in as news of his sudden death spread across the media network. Many were the tributes paid to the senior journalist on Facebook and other social media platforms.

After a stint at Browns, Zacky cut his teeth in journalism at the now defunct ‘Sun’ newspaper, which he joined in 1985. Later he joined The Island and developed his career as a journalist covering the political round with close contacts in the UNP and the previous government.

The Kaduwela Acting Magistrate ordered Zacky’s body to be released to his brother Zalman for burial. The funeral was held on Thursday at the Muslim burial grounds at Battaramulla.

As the sun set on Zacky Jabbar, his colleagues in The Island and across the media spectrum bid an emotional farewell to a man who has left behind fond memories that will continue to linger.

Goodbye, Zacky, goodbye, until we meet again in a world beyond the stars!