Cooray was born on November 12th, 1947. He was a wealthy landowner and a Roman Catholic. Cooray’s wife passed away in July 2011. Muditha Sanjeewani, his daughter, died in December 2013.
Cooray worked as an English teacher. He began his political career with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). He ran as an independent candidate in the 1977 Beruwala parliamentary election but was defeated. He later became a member of Vijaya Kumaratunga’s Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP).
The Communist Party, Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Nava Sama Samaja Party, and the SLPP formed the United Socialist Alliance in 1988. (USA). Cooray served on the first and second Western Provincial Councils (WPC). Cooray was one of the USA’s candidates in the Kalutara District in the 1989 parliamentary election, but the USA did not win any seats in the district.
The People’s Alliance was founded in 1993 by the United States and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) (PA). Cooray ran as a PA candidate in Kalutara District in the 1994 parliamentary election. He was elected and sat in Parliament.
In the 2000 parliamentary election, he was re-elected. Following the election, he was appointed Minister of Ethnic Affairs and National Integration. However, he was appointed to the WPC shortly after and became Chief Minister of the Western Province on November 9, 2000.
Reginald Cooray’s wife and children
Cooray’s wife passed away in July 2011. Muditha Sanjeewani, his daughter, died in December 2013. His wife’s name, on the other hand, is unknown.
Reginald Cooray’s parents and siblings
William J. Cooper, Sr. and Mamie Mayes Cooper are his parents. His siblings, however, remain unknown.
