KINGSTON, Jamaica – A Mass of Thanksgiving for former president of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), Earle deLisser, will be held on Saturday, April 2, at the St Richard of Chichester Catholic Church, Red Hills Road, Kingston.

deLisser, who turned 74 on February 13, died approximately a month later, on March 18, after what NDM current president, Peter Townsend described as “a valiant and brave struggle with a prolonged illness”.

In a release issued shortly after deLisser’s passing, the NDM expressed “sincere sadness” on his transition. deLisser died leaving his wife, Marlyn, and four daughters — Petra, Stacy, Kim and Candice.

The NDM noted that deLisser was the longest serving president of the party, from 2002 to 2013, and pointed out that, as a founding member of the NDM and a prominent attorney-at-law, he was chairman of its constitutional committee, which crafted its constitution, and served in many other capacities, before becoming president.

The NDM has been contesting general elections since 1997, when it fielded 58 candidates. This year, they nominated eight candidates. The party was originally led by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who left and rejoined the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in 2002 and was elected PM on a JLP ticket in 2007.

deLisser’s body is to be cremated at a later date.

Balford Henry