
Government officials, politicians, family, friends and well-wishers turned out yesterday to pay their final respects to the Prime Minister’s mother and lend their support to Gaston Browne.
Patricia Rose Richards was laid to rest Thursday following a service of thanksgiving at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in St John’s.
Richards died unexpectedly last week at the age of 76.
In delivering the eulogy, PM Browne spoke of the stigma himself and his sister Blondelle had experienced due to having a mentally ill mother.
“But we were blessed with the emotional strength to fight the challenges,” he said.
“I hope this will serve as a catalyst to end the stigmatisation of mental illness. At the end of the day, they are inflicted with illness just like any other. Let us love and embrace them.”


















Browne said he and his sibling had “loved and cared for our dear mother from childhood up to the time of her passing”.
And he paid special tribute to his sister who he said had made sacrifices to “selflessly care” for Richards who he described as “a really challenging person to care for”.
“She rose to the task for the last 20 years,” Browne said.
The PM became emotional as he pledged to protect his sister “until death do us part”.
Browne said the family was “united in grief”, adding that “better days are invariably in the future of the resilient and the courageous”.
Meanwhile, condolences have poured in from regional leaders since Richards’ passing, including from Montserrat’s Premier Joseph Farrell, St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.