Former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke is dead.

Sir Howard who would have been 99 in October died this afternoon.

Sir Howard Felix Hanlan Cooke entered politics in 1938 as one of the founding members of the People’s National Party.

He has been chairman and also a member of the Executive and National Executive of the Party.

In 1958 he was elected to the West Indies Federal Parliament, as the representative of St. James.

He entered the Jamaican Parliament in 1962 and served as Senator until 1967. He served as a member of the House of Representatives between 1967 and 1980, and was a Minister of Government between 1972 and 1980. As Minister, he held, at different times, the portfolios of: Pension and Social Security, Education, Labour and Public Service.

He was president of the Senate from 1989 to 1991 and served on the Executive of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Governor General from 1991 to 2006.

-Some information taken from the King’s House website