“Jamaica and St. James have lost a true champion of the people”. That was how Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Leeroy Williams reacted to the passing of former Member of Parliament for St. James Southern, Dr. Marco Brown.
Dr. Brown who served as MP for St. James Southern from 1980 to1989 passed away on August 11, 2022.
In recalling Dr. Brown’s contributions to St. James and Jamaica, Mayor Williams said “Marco (Brown) served this nation with distinction in the medical and political fields. The country has lost a champion, a great supporter of people from all walks of life and someone who served from his heart”.
Dr. Brown a former student of Cornwall and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland also worked at the Cornwall Regional and Kingston Public Hospitals. He served as State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism in the 1980s.
Mayor Williams said Dr. Brown’s influence on Jamaica’s political field will remain forever, and he will be especially remembered for the work done while he served as a Jamaica Labour Party, JLP, Member of Parliament during the 1980s.
“Dr. Brown was a political leader of the highest order-someone who served every member of his constituency with no regard for their political persuasion. As a medical Doctor, his patients were always given professional care. This is a gentleman who will be greatly missed and on behalf of the St. James Municipal Corporation, I express sincere condolences to members of his family and his many friends and associates”, Mayor Williams said.
Meanwhile, current Member of Parliament for St. James southern, Homer Davis said the passing of Dr. Brown has left a void which will not be easily filled.
Mr. Davis who is Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister West said “Dr. Brown was a man for all seasons. He was an astute political leader and caring medical doctor and someone who was never too busy to give a listening ear to members of the public, especially his constituents and his medical clients. His passing has left a void which will not be easily filled. This is a man who was always a humble servant of the Jamaican people”.
In May 2016, the St. James Municipal Corporation honoured Dr. Brown by naming a section of the North Coast Highway-the section from the intersection of Alice Eldermire Drive and the Bogue main road to the Clock Tower at the top of Barnett Street.