ST ANDREW: Well-known retired civil servant, Ruby Blake, mother of Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Christopher Tufton, died on Thursday at the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona, St Andrew.

Blake, who spent more than 30 years as a civil servant with the Ministry of Labour, was admitted to the hospital a week ago after suffering a stroke. She was also suffering from breast cancer. She was 64 years old.

"She was both my mother and father. She was a great single parent, who provided all the parenting we needed," Dr Tufton said on behalf of himself and his four siblings.

"She was extremely hard working, a strong disciplinarian with very strong faith, who also got a lot of satisfaction from serving the less fortunate," he added.

family

Tufton's siblings include Sharon Miller, a diplomat in Washington; Bryan, a member of the Canadian security forces; Andrew, who was trained at the Jamaica Theological Seminary; and, Shelly, a trained nurse.

Dr Tufton has been Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and member of Parliament for South West St Elizabeth since 2007 when the Bruce Golding Administration assumed office.

- JIS