[1] After having sat the Cambridge Senior Certificate Examination in 1917, he returned to Matale and joined as one of the tutorial staff of the Buddhist English School and was also instrumental in setting up a library and a Scout troop for the benefit of the students there.

He was the second native Ceylonese Governor-General and the first Buddhist to hold the post as the viceregal representative of Queen Elizabeth II who was the head of state.

His constitutional decision to invite the UNP which won the majority of parliamentary seats in the 1965 general election, (but not enough for an absolute majority) is heralded as a landmark moment where he respected the nation's constitution and its people's wishes more than the wishes of the defeated SLFP government who had first appointed him, who wanted him to delay inviting the winning party to form the government.

While he was a devout Buddhist, he respected all faiths and never failed to attend the annual Vel Hindu ceremony and never failed to host Christmas carols and also attended various Muslim ceremonies in his role as titular head of state; he was acutely cognizant of his role as a unifier of all Sri Lankans during his tenure.

His eldest daughter Chandrika Iranganie married Dr. Mackie Ratwatte, the private secretary and a brother of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

His oldest son Asoka is an entrepreneur businessman, His second daughter Chinthamani, was a teacher and landed proprietor, and his youngest son Monty Gopallawa who died in 2005, was a member of parliament and an affable cabinet minister in the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga (daughter of Sirimavo Bandaranaike).

He had 13 grandchildren; Chandhaka, Dhammika, Mano, Anushka, Devika, Avanthi, Sureka, Lehka, Shiranthani, Ashani, Mahen, Shanika and Dilani, and 1 known great-great-grandchild, named Vonal Gopallawa.