Prime Minister John Compton

b. 29 April 1925, Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
d. Aged 82, 7 September 2007, Castries, St. Lucia

Prime Minister John Compton extensive political life includes the noted achievement of being the first leader of St Lucia following its independence from British colonial rule in 1979. Although he was voted out of power a year later, he was subsequently re-elected leader a further two times during his career, from 1982 to 1996 and from 2006 until his death.

In his early political life, John Compton was known as an outspoken union leader who encouraged the strike against the profiteering sugar elite in 1957 and the following year, he became Minister for Trade and Production. Although an outspoken critic of the British government, which at one time he accused of being racist for its policy of “second-class citizenship for people of another colour”, his government was also criticised in later times for being pro-Western. He supported the US invasion of Grenada in 1983 and allowed North America to conduct training exercises on the island during the Cold War arguing that the Caribbean should support Washington to enable them to fight drug trafficking and communism.

During his political reign, Elder Compton instigated the construction and development of airports, housing projects, roads and industrial complexes. He also conceived of the development of acres of swampland in northern St Lucia now known as Rodney Bay which plays host to a modern shopping complex and hotels. John Compton received a knighthood from Britain’s reigning monarch, Elizabeth II in 1997.

He suffered a number of mild strokes in May 2007 which left him unable to stand or walk. Despite hopes for his recovery, he developed a lung infection in August which developed in pneumonia. After a further stroke his condition worsened and he was returned to Tapion Hospital in St Lucia on 5 September from Martinique, where he had been receiving treatment. He died 2 days later. A state funeral was held and the Acting Prime Minister declared two weeks of national mourning. Following the funeral service, his body was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Troumasse River.

He is survived by his wife Janice Compton and their five children.