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Last Updated on Wednesday, 2 August 2023, 8:03 by Denis Chabrol
Roger Luncheon
Veteran People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Executive Member and former Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon died early Wednesday morning, his party confirmed in a brief statement.
“A true son of the soil who helped to shape the lives of many, Dr. Luncheon left a rich legacy of true commitment to service, patriotism, and a deep sense of national pride and hard work for the people of Guyana,” the PPP said.
He was in his mid 70s.
Sources said he died at 4:06 AM at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he had been an in-patient for several weeks. He underwent an “important” surgery for a blocked artery.
“He is an icon that we have lost whether you like him or not. Guyana has lost a real asset,” the source said.
Up to the time of his death, he was on government’s payroll as a presidential advisor.
The PPP said in a statement that, “General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo extends deepest condolences on behalf of himself and the People’s Progressive Party, to the family, friends, colleagues, and others of Dr. Roger Forbes Luncheon, in light of his passing earlier this morning.
Dr Luncheon was an American trained nephrologist and a well-respected Internal Medicine specialist.
He served as Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary for more than two decades dating back to 1992.
Despite having been physically incapacitated and severely visually impaired, he was present at the PPP’s 2020 election campaign rally outside Parsatoon’s Dug Store, Alexander Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
Back in 2015, he had emerged from three months sick leave and had announced that he was diagnosed with gastro-intestinal cancer but had declined to undergo surgery. Over the years, he had lost a significant amount of weight and was eventually confined to a wheel-chair.