DAVID THOMPSON DELIVERED a moving political address on the night before he died.
It was a rallying speech – unrecorded; and one intended for a much larger gathering of his staunchest supporters.
But with his body tired and his voice noticeably weak, the late Prime Minister, realising time was against him, proceeded before a small gathering of family members, namely his wife Mara, daughters Misha, Oya and Osa-Marie and sister Liz, to make what would be his final oratorical contribution – from his deathbed.
The entire speech lasted a full hour and a half, recalled Dr Richard Ishmael, Thompson’s personal physician, who along with night nurse Annette, was the only other outsider in the room.
In it the physician said Thompson personally thanked his many supporters and urged them to carry on his plans and policies.
Once satisfied that he had made his point, “at about 11:30 p.m. he stopped talking and had a peaceful look on his face.
“His breathing started to get shallow and his priest was called, who came and gave him his last rights.”
Mum Margaret would also enter the room. In the last moments, she held onto her son’s hand, while his sister Liz wrapped her arms around his neck before the signal came from the doctor of his death.
“With a smile on his face the Prime Minister ceased to breathe at 2:10 a.m. on October 23, succumbing to the will of the Almighty,” Ishmael said.
Thompson had lost his valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.
