Alexander Bustamante Biography

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Biography Part 8 - Retirement, Death and Legacy

In 1964 Sir Alexander Bustamante became ill and appointed his deputy, Donald Sangster as acting prime minister and in 1967 he retired from active politics completely. In 1969 he was awarded Jamaica's highest honour, that of National Hero.

He died on 6 August 1977 at the age of 93. He is buried in National Heroes Park, where a 30 foot monument has been erected in his honour.

Legacy

The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union is still the largest trade union in Jamaica

Bustamante's birthplace, the cottage in Blenheim is now a national monument. One of his former houses in Kingston has also been made in to a museum in his honour.

There is a life size statue of Bustamante on South Parade and the nearby wharves have been named after him. A road and a childrens hospital in Jamaica are also named after him and he appears on the Jamaican one dollar coin.

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