Prime Minister's brother dies

FELIX JOSEPH, 79, brother of the Prime Minister, has died.

Dr Rowley announced his death on May 23 during his opening remarks at the conversations with the Prime Minister at the Scarborough Library, Tobago.

Rowley said he felt it necessary to host an instalment of the series in Tobago, given recent developments on the island, most notably, rising crime.

He said he was also in Tobago to participate in the Prime Minister’s charity golf tournament at the Magdalena Grand Beach

“I also came to see my very sick brother, who passed away this evening (May 23). So there are a lot of things happening,” he told the audience, which included several Cabinet ministers as well as PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis.

A source told Newsday that Joseph, who lived at Signal Hill, died at the Scarborough General Hospital after a brief illness.

“He had been lying down at his home,” the source said, adding Joseph was occasionally cared for by a nurse.

The source said he and his wife had gone to visit Joseph at the hospital.

“His wife got a call and we accompanied her to the hospital. But when we got there, they put us to sit in an area and a nurse came out and say we could go in now. But he had already died.”

The source described him as “a jovial fella who liked to socialise.”

Joseph was a retired technician with the Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT).

He has one daughter, who reportedly recently took up an appointment as a judge in another Caribbean country.