Jamaica’s Embassy in Washington, DC to Open Book of Condolences Honouring The Late Ambassador Richard Bernal
WASHINGTON, DC – The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, DC will open a Book of Condolences giving the members of the diaspora and the public at large an opportunity to pay tribute to the Honourable Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal’s memory. The Book of Condolences will be opened at the Embassy, located at 1520 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20036, from Tuesday, 17th January to Friday, 20th January 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“We have lost an exceptional statesman and academic, who used his skills to foster good relations between Jamaica and our bilateral and multilateral partners,” said Ambassador Marks. Ambassador Bernal, Jamaica’s sixth Ambassador to the USA, was an economist, banker, academic and diplomat who represented Jamaica in Washington, D.C., from 1991 to 2001. He would subsequently go on to lead the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery as Director-General and then, among other positions, served as University of the West Indies Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs.
“It is with deep regret that I learned of Ambassador Richard Bernal’s sudden passing on 4th January,” Ambassador Marks stated. “On behalf of the Embassy of Jamaica, I join with the Diaspora in the United States of America in thanking Ambassador Richard Bernal for his extraordinary service to Jamaica and the Caribbean on so many fronts. I also convey heartfelt condolences to Ambassador Bernal’s wife of 51 years, Margaret, and to their sons, the rest of the family. His passing is a great loss to us all.”
