THE Jamaica Teachers” Association says it is saddened by the death of one of its stalwarts, Dr Dorothy Raymond, who died on August 23.

Dr Raymond served as president from 1989 to 1990, and later of the organisation as head of the Administration and Finance Unit.

“We express deep sympathy to her husband Roy and the rest of the family. We pray that they will be comforted by the positive impact she had on the thousands of teachers as she served in her various capacities,” a JTA release said.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and Opposition Spokesperson on Youth and Education Senator Kamina Johnson Smith have also expressed sadness at the passing of the former JTA president.

Holness said he fondly recalled Raymond as a passionate advocate for education and that she worked closely with the Ministry of Education while he was minister of education on several key issues. Dr Raymond, said Holness, was committed and dedicated to the education of the nation’s children and equally defended the rights and well-being of teachers.

Senator Johnson Smith, meanwhile, praised the work of Dr Raymond as a true and hard-working Jamaican, whose contribution to education at all levels was immeasurable.

“Her dedication to education is illustrated by the number of positions she held over the years. She was a teacher and principal between the years of 1963 and 1993 and during that time, in 1974, Dr Raymond started working with the JTA Credit Union, serving as industrial relations negotiator for the JTA and the JTA Credit Union.

Holness and Senator Johnson Smith both expressed deepest condolences to Dr Raymond’s family and loved ones, and to her extended family at the JTA.