The Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent cross-sector leaders, Evaristus Jn Marie, who passed away Friday at 67 after a period of illness that was never publicly disclosed.
Over a professional career that stretched across more than 30 years, Jn Marie built a reputation as a steady, respected leader across both private business and national public institutions. At the time of his death, he held multiple critical leadership posts: he served as chairman of two major national entities, the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) and the Bank of Saint Lucia. He also held a board seat at the East Caribbean Financial Holding Company Ltd, acted as managing director for his family’s enterprise Jn Marie & Sons Ltd., and served as a board director for the Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited, widely known as LUCELEC.
Beyond his corporate and institutional roles, Jn Marie emerged as a leading voice for the island’s fuel retail sector during his tenure as president of the Saint Lucia Petroleum Dealers Association. He regularly stepped into the public eye to advocate on behalf of local petroleum retailers, particularly during policy and pricing debates that directly impacted the sector’s stability and the livelihoods of its operators.
Jn Marie also dedicated years to formal public service, serving as an independent senator before rising to the position of Deputy President of the Senate of Saint Lucia.
Following the announcement of his passing, tributes have poured in from across the island’s political and business communities. Among those paying respects is House Speaker Claudius Francis, a lifelong friend of Jn Marie and a former classmate from St Mary’s College. Francis remembered Jn Marie not just as a respected leader, but as a trusted confidant whose commitment to serving the Saint Lucian public went far beyond the titles he held.
In a written tribute, Francis noted: “He gave himself to public service with a seriousness that marked him as a man of immense value.”
Francis reflected on Jn Marie’s consistent willingness to answer calls to serve his country, highlighting that his guidance was always steady, his loyalty to the people of Saint Lucia never wavered, and his leadership was never motivated by personal acclaim. Instead, Francis emphasized, Jn Marie’s work was driven by a core goal: to ensure that every institution he served operated in the best interest of the Saint Lucian public.