Mustique homeowner Felix Dennis, whose publishing company contributed to the donation of the 12,500 laptop computers to be distributed to Vincentian secondary school students this month, died on Saturday.
He was 67.
A statement on Dennis’ website on Sunday said he died “surrounded by his loved ones”.
He died “peacefully” at his home in Dorsington, England after “a long and painful battle with cancer,” the statement further said.
Dennis Publishing, the UK’s largest technology publisher, brokered a deal to provide over 12,500 laptops to secondary schools in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The computers were bought with money from Petrocaribe.
The deal between Dennis Publishing, the UK’s largest technology publisher, and the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has seen technology leaders Acer, Microsoft and Trend Micro come together to provide all secondary school students in SVG.
“It is hoped the scheme will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and assist the burgeoning economy of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Dennis publishing said in a statement earlier this year.
The statement said that in the summer of 2013, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves approached Dennis, who is owner and chair of Dennis Publishing, about launching a scheme to empower every secondary school child in the region, by providing each one with a state of the art laptop and software.
“The idea behind the scheme was to allow the children to learn to demonstrate their creativity and business skills whilst in a secure environment,” the statement said.
The laptops arrived in St. Vincent earlier this month, and are being prepared for distribution starting this week.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Dennis’ publishing company donated the computers. They were actually bought with monies from Petrocaribe.
R.I.P Hopefully his contribution won’t be forgotten by Vincentians