Trinidad and Tobago woke to devastating news on December 16 as Lisa Morris-Julian, Member of Parliament for D’Abadie/O’Meara and a Minister in the Ministry of Education, died alongside two of her children in an early-morning house fire in Arima. The blaze consumed the family’s home on Farfan Street.
Morris-Julian’s husband and three other children managed to escape the inferno, according to reports from the Trinidad Express.
Government officials, including Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, Arima MP and Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles, Energy Minister Stuart Young, Youth Development and National Service Minister Foster Cummings, and Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, visited the scene to comfort grieving relatives.
In a statement, the People’s National Movement (PNM) expressed profound sorrow, saying, “Our initial reports from Minister Beckles Robinson, who is on the scene now, is that unfortunately our beloved sister Lisa perished in a home fire along with her six-year-old son and her sister.
“The actual facts are still being confirmed, and in the meanwhile, we all lift her beautiful soul and those of her son and sister and wider family in prayer.
“She was an absolutely beautiful, kind, strong, compassionate, and amazing person. We are all heartbroken.”
Morris-Julian was a highly respected educator before entering politics. A former teacher of English literature, communication, and theatre, she taught at Barataria South Secondary and Arima Central Secondary schools. As an amateur playwright, she earned accolades at the Secondary Schools’ Drama Festival and was recognized by the Cropper Foundation for her work as an emerging Caribbean writer.
Her political career began in 2013 when she ran as a PNM candidate for the Arima Central council seat. She served as a councilor from 2013 to 2020, ascending to deputy mayor in 2015 and mayor in 2016. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives and appointed as a Minister in the Ministry of Education shortly after.
Lisa Morris-Julian is survived by her husband, Daniel Julian, and three children.
