Former Cabinet Minister, MP Ervin Knowles dies

Former Cabinet Minister, MP Ervin Knowles dies
Ervin Knowles, Former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Ervin Knowles, a former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament, passed away on Sunday at the age of 84.

A building contractor and land developer, Knowles was first elected to Parliament in 1977 as a member of the Bahamian Democratic Party, but resigned from the party in June 1978.  He later became a member of the Progressive Liberal Party and was elected the Member of Parliament for the Cat Island constituency in the General Election of 1982.

In the June 19, 1987 General Election he retained his Cat Island seat.  He was subsequently appointed Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Industry and Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation.

Knowles also served as chairman of both the Port Authority of New Providence and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.

He resigned as Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Industry on March 28, 1990, and as a Member of Parliament on November 20, 1991.

He was appointed Bahamas Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan) in February 1992.

Knowles was born in Nassau on May 17, 1934 to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Knowles. He attended Eastern Junior and Senior schools and St. John’s College in Nassau.

An Anglican, Knowles was married to the former Stella Symonette of Nassau, and they had three sons and three daughters.