Lloyd Best

The Honorable Lloyd Algernon Best, OCC (February 27, 1934 – March 19, 2007) was a Trinidadian intellectual, columnist, professor, and economist.

Biography

Best attended the Tacarigua Anglican School and Queen's Royal College, in Port of Spain. He won an island scholarship and graduated from the University of Cambridge and Oxford University. In 1957 Best joined the Faculty of the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, as a Research Fellow.

He remained as a Professor in Economics until 1976, when he resigned to work full-time at Tapia House, a political, social and economic organisation. Tapia House was unsuccessful in gaining seats in the 1976 elections, but some the party's members helped form the National Alliance for Reconstruction, which won the 1986 General Elections.

He was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1974–1975 and 1981-1983. He was also the founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of the West Indies (known since 2007 as the Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies).

Even though he was in failing health, two weeks before his death Best was hard at work with his colleague and fellow Tapia house member, Eric St Cyr completing his newest work titled Economic Policy and Management Choices: A Contemporary Economic History of Trinidad and Tobago, 1950-52.

Death

He died at his home, aged 73, from prostate cancer and diabetes. He was twice married, first (1958–2006) to Christiane Best with whom he had four children and is survived by his second wife, journalist Sunity Maharaj with whom he had two daughters.

References

• Carol, Matroo (March 20, 2007). "Lloyd Best dies in bed". Trinidad Guardian (Trinidad Publishing Company). Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-03-28.