I am truly saddened today, having learnt hours ago of the passing of a dear colleague at the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Mr. Philip Tudor. The fact that I was aware that he became critically ill a few weeks ago and had been hospitalised ever since has not made the news any easier to bear.
Philip, who took over as Acting Chief Technical Officer just over two months ago on August 28, was for many Barbadians, and certainly for his colleagues at the Ministry, the face of MTWW. It would not be inaccurate to say that very little took place at the Ministry in which he did not have a hand. Whether it was roads, bridges, drainage, road reinstatement, projects or management of the depots all roads at MTWW inevitably led to Philip Tudor.
In fact, when it comes to the public infrastructure of Barbados, one does not have to travel very far in any direction from our headquarters in The Pine, to see his work — whether it is the drainage system in Garden Land or Murphy Pasture; bridges at Bath, Newcastle, Morgan Lewis or Pie Corner; landslide mitigation structures at Spring Vale, Trio Path or Coconut Grove; or major road projects such as the recently completed rehabilitation of one half of Highway One, the recently started short roads programme, the IDB Global Roads Project, the CAF Project or the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project.
Philip’s footprint has been indelibly stamped on the landscape of Barbados through an almost four decade career at MTWW, dating back to September 1986, when he started out as a Technical Officer. But the legacy he has left is not limited to the public service, since his engineering design skills can be seen in such projects as Mango Bay Hotel and Island Inn Hotel.
A Civil Engineering graduate of the University of the West Indies and Louisiana Tech. University, and a member of the Engineers Registration Board of Barbados, the Soil Conservation Board and the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers, and a fellow of the International Road Federation, Philip served his country with distinction and I am in no doubt that his voice and his guidance will be deeply missed as we complete many of the projects which were started by Philip.
On behalf of the Prime Minister and fellow members of the Cabinet, Dr. Romel Springer, Parliamentary Secretary as well as the entire team at the Ministry, I extend sincere condolences to his wife Dr. Lesandra Tudor, his son Alair, and other members of the Tudor family, on his passing. We owe you all so much for lending him in service to his country these many years.
May his soul rest in peace.
Hon. Santia Bradshaw, M.P.
Acting Prime Minister