Early Life
Corea was born in Kurana, Katunayake in Ceylon on 11 September 1927. His parents were Reverend Canon Ivan Corea and Ouida Corea, and was the brother of Ernest Corea a prominent journalist and former Ambassador to the United States. Rev. Corea was Vicar of St. Luke's Church, Borella, and St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya. His family hailed from the west coast town of Chilaw in Sri Lanka and were direct descendants of King Dominicus Corea, also known as Edirille Rala who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in 1596. His grandfather was Dr. James Alfred Ernest Corea, brother of the famed freedom fighters of Sri Lanka, Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea, founders of the Chilaw Association and the Ceylon National Congress. Recognising their role in the independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi, known as the 'Father of India,' visited Chilaw on his first and only visit to Ceylon in 1927 and met Vernon's grandfather in a Corea home called 'Sigiriya.'
Vernon Corea was educated at Royal College, Colombo a well known education institution, in Sri Lanka. He represented the school in tennis and was fully involved in the world of drama and the debating society. He was sent by his father to Bishop's College,Calcutta, India for training into the priesthood. In Calcutta he was elected President of the Ceylon Students Association and acted in drama performances. He felt that the priesthood was not his vocation and returned to Ceylon, after the death of his mother.
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