The remains of the 69-year-old are being kept at no. 154/8, Namal Uyana, Nawinna, Maharagama.

Born Dorawala Maddalage Sarath Beddage, he made his name as Balangoda Sarath Madhu in a career spanning nearly five decades.

A science teacher by profession, he later became a full-time comic strip artiste, working for ‘Sathuta’, ‘Sathsiri, ‘Hithawatha’ and ‘Sada Wasana’.

The most popular work by him was ‘Ithin Ita Passe’ in the 1970s.

It became so popular that Victor Ratnayake based it for a song by the same name.