John Merryweather

John William Merryweather (25 May 1932 – 24 September 2019) was an Aruban landscape architect and politician. He served as the first Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 1986 until 1989.

John Merryweather
Merryweather (1986)
Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba
In office
10 January 1986 – 11 February 1989
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byRoland Laclé
Personal details
Born
John William Merryweather

(1932-05-25)25 May 1932
Aruba
Died24 September 2019(2019-09-24) (aged 87)
Aruba
Political partyAruban Patriotic Party (PPA)
Occupationlandscape architect and politician

Biography

Merryweather was born on 25 May 1932 in Aruba,[1] as the son of British father and an Aruban mother. He went to high school in Jamaica and the United States. He studied at the Loughborough University in England, and specialised in landscape architecture in the United States.[2]

In 1952, Merryweather started to work in the oil industry.[2] In 1961, he became head of the park service in Aruba.[3] In 1962, he became the Aruban representative of the newly formed National Park Agency (then STINAPA, nowadays CARMABI).[4] In 1969, he became head of the Curaçaoan park service.[4] In 1978, he became head of the Aruban tourism agency.[3]

In 1983, Merryweather became a member of the Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA),[5] and was elected to the island council of Aruba.[6] In April 1984, he resigned from the island council, and was appointed to the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles in The Hague, Netherlands.[7][8]

On 1 January 1986, the Status aparte of Aruba came into effect, which made Aruba a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[9] The country was to be represented by a Minister Plenipotentiary in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[10] On 10 January, Merryweather was appointed first Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba,[1][8] and served until 11 February 1989.[1]

After his tenure as minister, Merryweather served as head of the European tourism agency for Aruba.[11] In 1990, Merryweather became president of Nationaal Fonds Sports Gehandicapten (NFSG), a charitable fund for handicapped sports in the Netherlands.[12] During his lifetime, Merryweather had been active in several sport organisations, and served as football manager of SV Racing Club Aruba on multiple occasions.[4][13][3]

On 24 September 2019, Merryweather died in Aruba, at the age of 87.[14]

Honours and legacy

References
  1. "J.W. (John) Merryweather". Dutch Parliament (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  2. Dick Drayer (24 September 2019). "Merryweather, Aruba's eerste gevolmachtigde minister overleden". Curacao.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  3. "Aruba su prome minister plenipotenciario pa Hulanda, John Merryweather a bay sosega". Noticia Cla (in Dutch). 24 September 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  4. "Merryweather gaat Curaçao verfraaien". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 31 July 1969. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. "PPA bestuur". Amigoe (in Dutch). 10 May 1983. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  6. "Spanner voor Mito Croes naar eilandsraad". Amigoe (in Dutch). 11 June 1983. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  7. "John Merryweather in Landsdienst overgegaan". Amigoe (in Dutch). 11 April 1984. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  8. "Oranjestad". Amigoe (in Dutch). 14 January 1986. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  9. "De strijd om de Status Aparte". Historia di Aruba (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  10. "Gevolmachtigde minister". Dutch Parliament (in Dutch). 15 February 2022.
  11. "Merryweather benoemd bij directie Europees toerisme". Amigoe (in Dutch). 3 February 1989. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  12. "Ex-minister als collectant actief". Amigoe (in Dutch). 25 July 1990. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  13. "J. Merryweather voorzitter RCA". Amigoe di Curacao (in Dutch). 23 August 1976. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  14. "Royal Funeral Home ta anuncia fayecimento di John William Merryweather". Aruba Native (in Papiamento). 27 September 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
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