Saint Lucia has lost influential business and public sector figure Evaristus Jn Marie, who died on Friday at the age of 67 following a battle with an undisclosed illness.
Over a career spanning decades, Jn Marie held several prominent leadership positions, and at the time of his death was chairman of the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) and the Bank of Saint Lucia, a board member of the East Caribbean Financial Holding Company Ltd, managing director of Jn Marie & Sons Ltd., and a director of the Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC).
As president of the Saint Lucia Petroleum Dealers Association, he became a familiar voice on issues affecting the fuel industry, often speaking publicly on behalf of petroleum retailers and advocating for their interests during discussions on fuel pricing and the challenges facing the sector.
Jn Marie also served as an independent senator and as Deputy President of the Senate.
Following news of his passing, House Speaker Claudius Francis, a lifelong friend and former St Mary’s College schoolmate, remembered Jn Marie as a trusted confidant whose commitment to service extended well beyond his professional accomplishments.
“He gave himself to public service with a seriousness that marked him as a man of immense value,” Francis wrote.
In his tribute, Francis reflected on Jn Marie’s willingness to serve wherever he was called, describing him as someone whose guidance was steady, whose loyalty never wavered and whose leadership was driven not by personal recognition but by a desire to ensure the institutions he served worked in the best interest of the people.
