Barbados' Prime Minister, David Thompson is dead

Barbados’ Prime Minister, David Thompson is dead

Oct 24, 2010 News

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Barbados was plunged into mourning yesterday following the death of Prime Minister David Thompson, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer after a prolonged battle.

David Thompson

In a brief statement, his wife Mara said that Barbados has lost “its loyal son and faithful servant before he had the time to realise his life time dreams.
“Our family has lost a person who was central to all we did. We enjoyed and endured his public service experiences. He was always indebted to the people and the party that afforded him the opportunity to see the mountain top.”
She said “our long vigil this year was lightened by the prayers and support of Barbadians. We are deeply grateful for your considerations as we seek to reflect as a family in mourning but we invite your continued prayers”.
Thompson, 48, who became the sixth prime minister after he led his Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to victory in 2008, is the third head of government to die in office following prime ministers Tom Adams in 1985 and Errol Barrow two years later.
Members of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP), some of them weeping openly, were meeting to elect a successor.
Deputy Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart notified members of the Cabinet of the prime minister’s death during the early hours of yesterday.
Government Senator, Reverend David Durant, who was at Thompson’s bedside when he died, said he “fought valiantly and died very peacefully.
“Indeed we really regret his loss to the island. He was great husband to his wife and a good father to his three children. And also a good dealer in our nation,” he added.
Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean learnt of the full extent of Thompson’s illness on September 16, when his personal physician Dr. Richard Ishmael said that tests done in the United States had confirmed that the Prime Minister was suffering from carcinoma of the pancreas, manifested in the form of a tumour of his pancreatic gland.
Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Owen Arthur had scheduled a news conference for later yesterday, but in an immediate statement his predecessor, Mia Mottley said while the will of God cannot be questioned “this does not in any way diminish the grief that we inevitably feel at the moment.
“The passing of the Prime Minister…at such a young age may test our faith and spirituality both as individuals and as a nation but we must never question the will of God”.
Members of the public, some of them weeping, praised the work of the Prime Minister Thompson, who began his political career in 1987 when he won the rural St. John seat in a by-election following the death of Prime Minister Errol Walton Barrow.
Thompson represented his St. John constituency until his death.
Former legislator Sir Frederick Smith said that the death of the Prime Minister “has certainly proven correct the statement that only the good die young”.