Background
He was born on October 26, 1896 to Solomon and Harriet de Zoysa in Galle, and was their second son.
founder Industrialist leader president senator
He was born on October 26, 1896 to Solomon and Harriet de Zoysa in Galle, and was their second son.
He was educated at Saint Thomas" College, Matara for his primary studies and then moved on to Richmond College in Galle. He completed his secondary education at Royal College, Colombo.
He was distantly related to Sri Lankan tycoon Sir Ernest de Silva. De Zoysa also became a famous leader in his own right. His father was a notary public and for this reason de Zoysa moved many times during childhood.
At the young age of twenty, he began pursuing his studies at Ceylon Law College.
After graduating from Sri Lanka Law College, he began practicing law in 1921. He started at the police courts of Balapitiya.
In 1926 he moved to Kalutara after five successful years of practice in Balapitiya. In violation of colonial law, he began lighting lamps at the Kalutara Bodhi.
The Bodhi tree was one of 32 allegedly brought to Sri Lanka by King Devanampiyatissa, as a scion of the Sri Maha Bodhi of Anuradhapura.
When the colonial authorities came, they attempted to corral devotees away from the tree. They accosted De Zoysa, and De Zoysa challenged them to arrest him. He invested much of his own money into the project, and created pilgrimage facilities for worshippers.
De Zoysa was a successful businessman having a diverse array of ventures.
During law school he earned money by tutoring, and used his first earnings to buy a buggy cart. De Zoysa was the President of the Senate of Ceylon for eight years, prior to that he was the vice-president of the Senate for six years.
He was made a Knights Bachelor.