Prime Minister Bruce Golding Mother Dies At 91

The mother of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Enid Golding, has died. Mrs. Golding, who was ailing for some time, died Wednesday morning, September 14 at the St. Joseph's Hospital in Kingston. She was 91-years old.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, the Acting Prime Minister, expressed the condolences of the Cabinet and the Government to Prime Minister Golding and the members of the Golding family following Mrs Golding’s passing. She was born in Southfield, St Elizabeth.

Mrs Golding was an outstanding educator and community builder. She was a graduate of the Shortwood Teachers College and London University. Her teaching career started in St Catherine at the Ginger Ridge Elementary School and she later taught at the Watermount Elementary School. She relocated to Kingston and taught at the Alpha Academy and the St Andrew High School.

In 1960, she became the founding Principal of the Old Harbour Junior Secondary School and served there for eleven years.  Mrs. Golding was married to the first Speaker of the House of Representatives, the late Tacius Golding.

They have three surviving children: Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Dr Trevor Golding and former Member of Parliament and banker, Douglas Anthony Golding. They also had a daughter who died in infancy. Mrs Golding and her brother the late Rupert Bent co-authored two high school text books on the Geography of the West Indies and the History of the West Indies.

The governing Jamaica Labour Party and Portia Simpson Miller, the Leader of the Opposition Opposition People’s National Party, have conveyed condolences to Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the Golding family.