Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene have paid tribute to former parliamentarian and senator Eustace “Teco” Lake, who died Friday after prolonged health challenges.

Browne, who shared a decades-long friendship with Lake, said he was deeply saddened by the loss, noting that although Lake had been hospitalized and hopes were high for his recovery, “he didn’t make it this time around.” He extended condolences to Lake’s family and described him as affable, widely loved and especially popular in St John’s Rural South, which he successfully contested for the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party in 2009 and 2014.

Lake served as Minister of Works before kidney disease forced him to step back from electoral politics ahead of the 2018 elections. After undergoing kidney surgery, he later returned to public life as a senator and remained active in party affairs. Browne confirmed that Lake will receive an official funeral, with arrangements to be announced by Cabinet.

Greene said the loss was particularly painful given Lake’s age, describing him as “effervescent” and “vivacious” despite ongoing medical challenges. He said Lake’s loyalty to party and country never wavered, adding that he could always be counted on at party events and national observances.