NiLeung Hypolite remembered as true PNM soldier, gentleman
Senior Reporter
kay-marie.fletcher@guardian.co.tt
Former People’s National Movement (PNM) MP NiLeung Hypolite is being remembered as a true PNM solider and true gentleman. In June, Hypolite announced his battle with acute Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), a rare aggressive form of cancer.
He said this form of cancer could not be treated in the Caribbean. As such, he had been raising funds for a bone marrow transplant, which he was advised was the only permanent cure. Confirming his death on Saturday, PNM General Secretary Foster Cummings remembered him as a true PNM soldier.
Cummings said, “Former MP NiLeung Hypolite was a dedicated representative who served his constituents well. He was a true PNM soldier and was well-liked and respected by party members. NiLeung was very approachable, and members of the public were very appreciative of that quality. On behalf of the party, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to his wife and family.”
Guardian Media also reached out to Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox, who worked closely with Hypolite for several years while they both served as opposition MPs.
Cox said, “I am really sad about his passing. I knew he was ill, and I kept in touch with him. I saw him on September 21. I was the MP Laventille East/Morvant, and he was MP Laventille West. We referred to our constituencies as love until. We were in opposition together. We sat next to each other, so we developed a very good relationship.
“Many times we would talk about challenges we faced in our constituencies, and we worked together as a team, and we kept that relationship throughout the years. I always checked up on him to see how he’s doing. He is gone. I think he is in a better place, and I wish the Lord would comfort and strengthen his family and friends at this time. Although he is gone, he will continuously live on in my heart.”
Also speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said, “NiLeung was a fundamentally decent colleague who always conducted himself with a sense of dignity and purpose. A true gentleman. Slow to anger, calm, personable, and always optimistic, calculating, and striving for the future.
“He was known to be very generous and a family man at heart. His love for his daughter in particular is monumental. He had a strong entrepreneurial inclination, was a good friend to many, a caring MP, and was serious about his politics. I will miss him, and his family must always be proud to have been led by a gentleman who earned the regard and respect of friends and foes alike.”
Other government ministers also paid tribute to Hypolite via social media yesterday. Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles-Robinson said Hypolite was a “true brother and friend.” Beckles said, “Today we honour not just a remarkable parliamentary colleague of eight years, but a true brother and friend. NiLeung was more than a coworker; he was a steadfast support, always ready to lend a listening ear and offer encouragement in every endeavour I pursued.”
As the immediate past president of the Seafront Lions Club for the 2023-2024 term, “Lion NiLeung,” she said, was dedicated to Lionism.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to his beloved wife and entire family.”
Also extending condolences yesterday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said, “On behalf of St Ann’s East, our prayer goes out to the family of NiLeung Hypolite. May he rest in peace, and may God’s strength be with his family at this time of grief.”
Outside of the Parliament, many of his former constituents and friends also expressed how great of a man he was. He was praised for all the work he did for youth development, not just in his constituency of Laventille. Guardian Media also spoke to one of his former schoolmates, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Wayne Mystar, who said he was “committed to the cause.”
Mystar said, “We went to school at Belmont Secondary from 1981 to 1986. We were in the same class, and we were also in cadets together. He was the Sergeant Major, and I was the Staff Sergeant during our tenure as cadets. I went on to the police service, and he went on to politics. I want to express my deepest condolences to his family. He was a guy who was really committed to the cause, and it really hurts my heart to know that it had to end this way. May his soul rest in peace.”
Born in 1970, NiLeung Roland Hypolite attended Belmont Boys’ Secondary, now called St Francis Boys’ College. During his tenure in politics, he served as Laventille West MP from November 2007 to July 2015. He also served as a temporary senator on several occasions. After leaving politics, Hypolite worked at the Maritime Financial Group as a sales representative. He was also a husband and father.
The post NiLeung Hypolite remembered as true PNM soldier, gentleman first appeared on CNC3.