(Trinidad Guardian) A legendary rock and nation-builder has passed on.
Distinguished former diplomat and head of the public service, John Reginald Dumas, passed away last night (Thursday), after being hospitalised in recent weeks. His death was confirmed by his daughter Sonja Dumas last night at 10.36 pm.
Dumas, who was a member of Tobago’s Council of Elders, died at age 88 – just over a month shy of his 89th birthday on April 4.
Dumas is understood to have had gastro-intestinal challenges, which culminated in his having emergency surgery at the Scarborough General Hospital. There had been calls for donations of blood during the period.
Ms Dumas, who had been at her father’s bedside throughout his hospitalisation, said, “My father transitioned (last night). He fought an extended challenge of gastrointestinal failure over the past few weeks at the Scarborough General Hospital. We thank the various medical, surgical and anaesthesia teams for their Herculean efforts to bring him back to health.
“We thank too all the friends, allies, family members and strangers who donated blood and helped in various ways as advocates for his recovery.
“He leaves a legacy of integrity and honesty that I hope to follow as long as I’m on this planet and perhaps beyond. He is my ancestor now, looking down on me, guiding me.”
Ms Dumas added, “For many he was a great diplomat, a great orator and a great political analyst. He fought tirelessly for good governance. His generosity touched countless people, as did his wit (which was often acerbic). He was more stubborn than 10 mules put together and could dismiss you with a short tart phrase when he’d had enough of what he thought was nonsense. But his heart was huge and his mind brilliant.
“Last night (Wednesday), we listened to jazz while I read the papers to him. We laughed as usual at the reported follies of people grappling for power, lamented the state of Carnival as described in one of the articles and cringed at the emaciated kangaroo.”
Ms Dumas, who said her father’s death had caused a cavernous loss, added, “He was the biggest, safest rock in my life and I love him beyond measure. The memories will always be there.”
Relatives have requested a couple of days of private time as the family comes to terms with this loss.
Born to Tobagonian parents, Dumas served many prominent roles in his lengthy career as a nation builder in T&T’s life as a young, rising independent country.
He grew up in Chaguanas, lived in Tunapuna and attended Queen’s Royal College, Port-of-Spain, Cambridge University and the Institut Universaire de Haute Etudes Internationales, Geneva. In 1979-80, he was a Visiting Fellow at Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford.
Dumas was posted to the civil service in 1959-62, going on to become a junior diplomat at T&T’s Embassy in Washington.
His extensive diplomatic background included from 1987 to 1988, as Ambassador to the United States of America and T&T’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.
From 1985 to 1987, he served as High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Prior to his appointment as High Commissioner to Canada, from 1980 to1984, he served as High Commissioner to India, with concurrent accreditation to Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan.
Also, between 1973 and 1976, Dumas was High Commissioner to Ethiopia, with concurrent accreditation to Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Dumas was Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister of T&T and Head of the Public Service from 1988 to 1990. He chaired the Public Service Reform Task Force.
Dumas is described as the only person from Trinidad and Tobago to have been Ambassador to Washington (the country’s top diplomatic post) and to the Organization of American States, and Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister and Head of the Public Service.
