By Sue-Ann Wayow

FORMER government minister Dr Daphne Phillips has died.

She passed away at the age of 82 on Wednesday.

Phillips served in the Basdeo Panday Administration (1995– 2001), holding several key ministerial portfolios including Minister of Community Development, Culture and Women’s Affairs, Minister of Culture and Gender Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Community Empowerment, Sport and Consumer Affairs.

She also served as a government senator during that period and later returned to the Parliament as an Opposition United National Congress (UNC) Senator in 2008.

And she acted as prime minister on several occasions and served on the UNC national executive.

Prime Minister and political leader of the UNC Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones of Phillips.

She said in a release on Wednesday evening, “Dr Daphne Phillips was a woman of extraordinary depth, an academic, a nurse, a mentor, a policymaker, and a patriot. Her lifelong commitment to empowering communities, uplifting women, strengthening families, and enriching the cultural fabric of our nation will forever stand as a testament to her vision and integrity.”

Persad-Bissessar who served alongside Dr Phillips under Panday, remembered their service together and described her as a stalwart.

In 2024, Persad-Bissessar honoured Dr Phillips with a Long-Service Award, celebrating her sterling and enduring contributions to the party and to national development.

She remembered Dr Phillips as an pillars of the UNC. Before joining the UNC, she was a member of the People’s Popular Movement (PPM) under Michael Als. When the PPM merged with the newly formed UNC in 1991, she became part of the party’s foundation and never wavered in her commitment, Persad-Bissessar said.

“Her voice, wisdom, and steadfast support strengthened the organisation from its earliest days right up to her final years,” Persad-Bissessar said.

A highly trained social scientist, Dr Phillips specialised in sociology, behaviour modification, health, and the sociology of development. She pursued studies at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Jamaica and later at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Her early training at Bishop Anstey High School and Osmond High School laid the foundation for a life of academic excellence and service.

Dr Phillips brought her extensive experience in nursing, midwifery, and nurse education to the Caribbean, shaping countless professionals across the region. She later taught at several tertiary institutions, including the University of the West Indies, where she helped mould future generations of leaders and thinkers.

Persad-Bissessar said, “Dr Daphne Phillips leaves behind a legacy defined by integrity, compassion, scholarship and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of public service.”

The entire UNC party has joined in mourning the profound loss, she said.

The prime minister added, “Her example will continue to inspire generations. Her memory will forever remain a blessing to the UNC. May her great soul rest in eternal peace.”