Former prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Lester Bryant Bird passed away on Monday morning (August 9) at the age of 83.
According to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in the twin-island nation, Sir Lester died around 6:00 am today.
It was not immediately clear, however, if Bird’s death was related to a lower leg amputation that the late statesman underwent earlier in April.
For his part, Prime Minister Gaston Browne hailed Bird as a “son of the soil” and that he had greatly influenced the development of the Caribbean nation.
“Sincerest condolences to the family of our National Hero, Sir Lester, who transitioned to the great beyond earlier this morning. Sir Lester was a great son of the soil, who contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of our nation. May his soul rest in peace and rise in glory,” Browne said.
Additionally, flags have been ordered to fly at half-mast with immediate effect, while planning commences for a State Funeral at an agreed-upon date.
Bird, a former athlete and lawyer-turned-politician, was born on February 21, 1938, in the United States.
He succeeded national founding father and family patriarch Vere Bird as leader of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) when the elder Bird resigned in 1971.
The younger Bird’s career in politics spanned from 1971 until his death, having held the positions of senator, minister of economic development, foreign trade, tourism and energy, and was responsible for many of the government’s financial dealings.
Bird also served as deputy prime minister and was appointed the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda between 1994 and 2004.
The Los Angeles Times, in an April 1989 article, described Sir Lester as an “outgoing, articulate and quick-witted” former long-jump champion at the University of Michigan in the 1960s. Brid later received tutoring in Britain, where he returned to Antigua as a trained and competent lawyer.
Sir Lester, along with legendary cricketer Sir Vivian Richards, was among two men still living after being bestowed with Antigua and Barbuda’s highest honour, Knight of the Most Exalted Order of National Hero.
After handing over the reins of the ALP to Gaston Browne, Bird was conferred with the honour on November 3, 2014, for his contribution to national development as an outstanding sportsman, lawyer and parliamentarian for over 40 years.
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