There are lives that leave quiet ripples, and there are lives that create a tide of memory, warmth, and meaning. Parimalakanthi, who passed away peacefully at the age of 87, lived one of those rare lives that did both.
A beloved teacher, devoted mother, gifted craftswoman, and tireless volunteer, she shaped not just her family’s story but the stories of countless students, neighbours, and friends.
Her journey spanned nearly nine decades of change — from the colonial-era Malaya of her birth to a modern Malaysia — but at every stage she remained anchored by values of service, resilience, and care.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1937, Parimala entered the world in a Malaya on the cusp of transformation. She was the cherished daughter of a railway man, and her childhood unfolded along the tracks of the Malayan Railway.
Her father’s work meant the family moved frequently, living in towns dotted along the rail lines. Each move brought a new school, new friends, and new lessons
Together with her brother Nadarajah, she learned to pack up and start again without complaint, a quality that would later serve her through life’s greatest tests.
She also developed a keen curiosity for people and places. Each new town gave her another dialect to listen to, another community to observe, and another set of teachers to inspire her.
Her own teachers saw her promise early. She was studious but not solemn, diligent but never dull, and she carried her books as lightly as she carried her smile. After finishing school, she set her sights on the noble profession of teaching, enrolling at the Teacher Training College in Penang.
Those years in Penang were formative. Away from home for the first time, she forged lasting friendships and honed not just her skills but her sense of vocation.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1963, Parimala married Dharmarajah, beginning a chapter filled with love, laughter, and shared dreams. Together, they built a home rooted in warmth and simplicity, welcoming their first child, a daughter, in 1964, and later, a son in 1970.
Motherhood brought her joy and purpose. She navigated the balancing act of lesson plans and late‑night feedings with the same steadiness that would come to define her.
Tragedy struck when her husband passed away suddenly in 1973. Overnight, she became both mother and father to her young children. The grief could have broken her, but instead, she turned her sorrow into strength.
Teaching Career
Teaching was never just an occupation ; it was the thread that ran through her identity. Over the decades, she taught at a series of schools that each carried their own place in her heart: Gemas, ACS Seremban, Sulaiman School Bentong, Karak School, and Mantin School.
Her style was neither stern nor soft; she believed in fairness, in firm guidance delivered with a patient smile.
Former students often recalled her not for a single subject, but for the feeling she created in the classroom — that learning was not something to fear, but something to cherish. Many came back years later to tell her of the paths they’d taken, and more than one credited her with shaping the foundation of their success.
Passions, Craft, and Community Service
Outside the classroom, she carried another identity: that of a talented haberdasher and craftswoman. Sewing, knotting, and crochet weren’t just hobbies for her — they were expressions of care.
Her fingers were rarely still. Over the years, she stitched smocked dresses, altar cloths, baby booties, and festival decorations.
Her gifts of craft often found their way into the community. She repaired what others might discard, quilted for temple events, and taught friends and neighbours small tricks with thread and needle.
Her service extended beyond crafts. In her retirement, she gave her time generously to her local temple.
Later Years
As the years passed, she found a gentle rhythm to life. Retirement gave her more time to pursue her crafts, volunteer work, and, most importantly, her family.
Her later years were not defined by grand adventures but by small, enduring joys: mornings with a cup of tea, afternoons with a crochet hook, evenings with temple friends.
Reflections and Legacy
To describe Parimala only in terms of dates and roles would be to miss the heart of who she was. She was a teacher, yes — but also a lifelong student, always curious and open to learning.
She was a widow, yes — but also an unshakable pillar of strength for her children. She was a craftswoman, yes — but also an artist whose materials happened to be thread and yarn.
The legacy she leaves is woven from many strands: the generations of students she encouraged, the temple community she supported, the garments she stitched, the children she raised, and the resilience she modelled.
In a world that often values the loud and the fleeting, she offered a different lesson: that a quiet life, lived with consistency, care, and kindness, is no small thing. It is, in fact, the rarest and most valuable legacy of all.
Parimala 