Easton Douglas, former MP and Cabinet Minister, is dead

Easton Douglas, a former Member of Parliament and cabinet minister in the administrations of Michael Manley and P.J. Patterson, died on Sunday morning.

Mr. Douglas, 81, died at home after a long battle with cancer.

Prior to his death, he had been hospitalised for more than a week and later released.

A Jamaica House Facebook post expressed condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Douglas.

The statement said Mr. Douglas dedicated his life to contributing to the development of Jamaica, both in government and the private sector.

Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips said Mr. Douglas served well in many capacities, first as a civil servant then in the political field, where he was MP for South Eastern St. Andrew for three terms, and held several cabinet posts, including Minister of Health, Minister of the Public Service, and Minister of Environment & Housing.

He told RJR News that his most significant contribution in government was probably while he was in charge of the housing portfolio.