Former GraceKennedy CEO, government Senator Don Wehby, passed away Friday after a period of illness, and both Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Opposition People’s National Party are celebrating the legacy of this nation builder.

Below are the full statements released by Holness and the PNP in the wake of Wehby’s passing.

Statement from the Prime Minister

Tonight, my heart goes out to the family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and admirers of former Senator and former Minister, the Honourable Don Wehby, O.J, who transitioned yesterday.

We mourn the passing of a respected former government senator and a visionary leader whose influence spanned both public service and private enterprise. The Honourable Don Wehby was the Group Chief Executive Officer of GraceKennedy Limited, a remarkable tenure he began on July 1, 2011, after serving as Group Chief Operating Officer first, and rejoining the company in October 2009. His transformational leadership helped guide GraceKennedy’s expansion into regional and global markets and established it as one of the Caribbean’s most dynamic conglomerates.

Don was known not just for his professional excellence but for his character, kind, gracious, deeply principled, and unwaveringly committed to Jamaica’s future. He served with integrity as Government Senator and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance from September 2007 to October 2009, and again in the Senate from 2016 onward, always offering wisdom, mentorship, and a firm belief in the potential of his homeland.

His passing is a tremendous loss for his loving family, for the colleagues and communities he uplifted, and for the nation he so passionately served. But Don Wehby’s legacy endures, in the lives he mentored, in the institutions he helped build, and in the ideals he championed.

To his family, your loss is deeply felt. To the staff of GraceKennedy, his fellow policymakers, and the many students, entrepreneurs, and citizens who looked to him for leadership, I know your sorrow. May you find solace in the countless ways he made Jamaica better.

May his memory forever be a blessing, and may his legacy continue to inspire us to serve with purpose, integrity, and love.

Statement from the PNP/Opposition Leader Mark Golding

The People’s National Party (PNP) extends heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Donald George Wehby, CD, former Senator, Cabinet Minister, and longstanding CEO of GraceKennedy Limited, following news of his passing.

Mr Wehby was a respected figure in both public service and the private sector, whose work left a lasting mark on Jamaica’s economic and corporate landscape. His tenure at the helm of GraceKennedy saw significant expansion, innovation, and the strengthening of one of Jamaica’s most iconic companies. In his time as Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, he brought the discipline and insight of a private sector leader to the halls of government.

PNP President, Mark Golding, commented: “Don Wehby’s contributions to public policy and private enterprise have played a meaningful part in Jamaica’s recent development story. His passing represents the close of a chapter of national service. He was a personal friend, who I got to know well during the years I served as a director on the board of GraceKennedy Limited and as their legal counsel in various transactions. I want to express heartfelt condolences to his wife Hillary, their children and extended family, and the entire GraceKennedy family.”

The PNP joins with our leader in expressing heartfelt sympathy to Don Wehby’s wife, children, and loved ones. We also remember his colleagues in the business community, former parliamentary peers, and friends who will feel this loss deeply. May they be comforted in this time of sorrow.