Sir John, a frank and at times thought-provoking voice in the Senate, and a former leader of the Goddard group of companies, passed away about 2:15 a.m. on Sunday. He was 77.

The death, which followed a brief illness, stunned members of the large Goddard family.

"He went into the hospital yesterday," son Geoffrey Goddard said. "We thought he was going to come home this weekend. But things didn't work out that way."

Sir John died surrounded by members of his family at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he had been taken after complaining of feeling unwell.

"He was in very high spirits yesterday [Friday]," his son said.

"He was making a lot of fun and joking. We never thought he would have died. Maybe it was just a case of age, something as simple as that."

Sir John was awarded the Gold Crown Of Merit in 1990, and the Knight Of St Andrew was conferred in 1993 for his contribution to commerce and the community.

He spent most of his life working with the group of companies launched by his grandfather, Joseph Nathaniel Goddard.

He joined the business as a chartered accountant, after returning to Barbados in 1957 from studies at Queen's University and a five-year stint with Price Waterhouse.

Taken from www.stabroeknews.com.