Kandatege Wimalasena

Kandatege Wimalasena, 74, passed away Thursday, April 30, 2026 in Wichita, Kansas. Wimalasena was born March 12, 1952 in Rambawewa, Sri Lanka to P. Kandate and P. B. Dingirimenika, he was the second oldest of eight children. He pursued his early education at Anuradhapura Central and Matale Science College. He went on to earn a Chemistry Special degree at University of Peradeniya in the batch of 1973. Following that, he was a lecturer at the University of Colombo until he immigrated to Atlanta, GA to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry at Georgia Tech. After completing his degree in 1986, he moved with his wife, Shyamali, to Wichita, KS where he was a Professor of Biochemistry at Wichita State University for 35 years. He devoted his life to the study of toxins and other agents capable of inducing damage to the brain seen in Parkinson’s disease. Over the course of his career, he was able to publish scientific papers with his wife Shyamali, as well as each of his daughters Nivanthika and Virangika, which was one of his proudest achievements.

Outside of the time he spent teaching or in the lab, he devoted his time to a few simple joys. He spent his days devoted to his garden where he designed and hand-dug several koi ponds, planted irises, peonies, roses to bloom in the spring, and tomatoes, peppers, and herbs to be harvested in the summer and fall. He enjoyed his daily walks around the Wichita State campus, where he kept a rapid pace, only pausing to pick up the occasional stray golf ball or lucky dollar. However, his greatest love was his family, and he spent many beautiful days in the garden or on walks with them that will always be remembered.

He was preceded in death by his parents, P. Kandate and P. B. Dingirimenika, his brother K. Senaratne, and brother-in-law Rajakaruna.

Kandatege is survived by his wife, Shyamali Wimalasena; daughters, Nivanthika Wimalasena (Carl Malm) and Virangika Wimalasena; granddaughter, Sonali Malm; brothers K. Premaratne (Sujatha), K. Karunaratne (Padma), K. Jayaratne (Kumari), and K. Rajarathne (Padma) and sisters K. Padmalatha and K. Siriyalatha (Dharmasena), and sister-in-law Yamuna, as well as a large extended family.

Visitation: Wednesday May 6th, 2026 12pm to 1:30pm to be followed by Funeral Service: 1:30pm to 2:30 pm

Location: Reflection Pointe Funeral & Cremation Services

3201 S. Webb Rd., Wichita, KS 67210.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to the Great Plains Nature Center of Wichita where the family often walked together: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/FriendsoftheGreatPlainsNature/memorials.html