He went on “he was very involved at the NEC meeting and was involved in some of the workshops and spoke to all of the ministers he wanted to see and got some promises from some of them. It would be good thing that they have made some promises it would be good that they live to those promises. We travelled together to and from and spoke about a lot of things from government to religion. We discussed about the future development of Port Antonio and was glad that the Port Antonio water sewage and drainage project was going to start because he was the one who initiated that project in the early 1990’s. He was feeling very enthused and wanted to be involved and was to meet with one of the contractors this morning. I was calling him this morning about 9:30 and couldn’t get him and that was when I heard he was in the hospital.
When I left him he was in good spirit and enthused about the future development of the parish. He was full of life and loved the people. He was a giving man, giving to his family, giving to the people, giving to his country. He could have made it anywhere in the world based on his qualification he went away to help his family but he chose to come back to Jamaica to help build his country. I hope that his soul will rest in peace” Dexter closed with.
“He was a socialist and had tremendous respect and love for the people, I remembered when I met him in 1984 this was what struck me most of all about him. He was always concerned about the peoples’ welfare what he would like to see them achieve. He came into politics with about five vehicles and a lot of cows and when he was leaving he left with two vehicles a broken down Cressida and a little old pick-up and had lost most of his cows which he sold to keep peoples live together. That shows you what a tremendous love he had for the poor and the care that he showed through his life even when he was retired as an MP even recently. He was helping a lot of people to go to school and to start their own business. He didn’t have a lot of money but he made great sacrifices as he loved people” Dexter pointed out.
The Port Antonio sewage system that is to come on stream this year is a part of his brain child
He served as Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Industry, Development and Commerce during a part of his tenure.
He died leaving wife Lois Layne-Lawrence (This is his third marriage).
He started the Portland Jamboree and was instrumental in the NWC water sewage and drainage project to get on the way this month. He was also involved in real estate and the Tranquility Heights in Norwich was his development.
