Hettiarachchi was born 13 October 1927 in
Kalutara, the son of a tea, rubber and coconut planter, to a family with five sisters and two brothers. The family moved to
Horana, where he attended
Ananda and
Nalanda Colleges, before completing his studies at Pembroke (a defunct ‘
finishing school’). He contested and won a seat on the Horana Village Council and a year later, following the resignation of the sitting chairman, Hettiarchchi was appointed to the position, which he held for the next eighteen years. He was elected as a
Member of Parliament, representing
Horana at the
8th parliamentary election held on 21 July 1977. In 2005, he was conferred with the title of
Deshabandu by the
President. Hettiarachchi died on 11 January 2025, at the age of 97. ==References==