DR. Roger Luncheon was laid to rest after several decades of service to the Guyanese people. Hundreds of people from all walks of life turned out to pay their last respects to an outstanding son of the soil at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, where glowing tributes in his honour were paid by the government and party leaders including President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice-President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). He died on August 2, 2023, after a period of prolonged illness.

To say that the late Dr. Luncheon has served his country well would be an understatement. He was a public servant par excellence, someone who loved what he was doing in service of the people.

Despite functioning at an elevated public office, he never lost the common touch; many lives were touched by his kindness and generosity.
Dr. Luncheon served as Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Secretary to Cabinet and Secretary to the Defence Board from the time the PPP/C assumed political office in October 1992, the first democratically held elections after nearly three decades of PNC dictatorial rule. The fact that he served in that capacity for almost the whole of his working life speaks volumes to his competence and his professional acumen.

Dr. Luncheon was a trusted member of the party and the PPP/C administration. His intellectual and strategic inputs invariably informed decision-making, both at the levels of party and government. His opinions and judgement on fundamental issues of politics and governance proved invaluable especially during periods when the political opposition sought to undermine the rule of law and constitutional rule.

He lived a full life. He excelled in the field of academia as he did in politics and in sports. Many may know of him as a politician and as a medical doctor but he also represented his alma mater Queen’s College in sports.

Dr. Luncheon’s life is worthy of celebration and emulation. His life and work is testimony of the fact that there is virtue in service and that service is truly a sacred duty. Indeed, as Dr. Luncheon has shown by his strength of example, there can be no higher form of service than service to humanity.
He had a sharp intellectual and analytical mind. After finishing his secondary education at the premier secondary school Queens College, he proceeded to the United States where he obtained a Degree in Medicine from Howard University.

On his return to Guyana, he was influenced by Dr. Cheddi Jagan and became a member of the then opposition PPP where he quickly ascended to leadership positions in the party, having served in several party committees, including the Central and Executive Committees. He sooner became a formidable political adversary, both feared and respected by the political opposition. He never, however, allowed politics to get in the way of his professionalism to the extent that several leading members of the political opposition felt comfortable enough to reach out to him for medical advice and care.

In paying tribute to Dr. Luncheon, President Ali was high in praise for his professionalism and rigorous work ethic which he described as “a gold standard for the public service”.
He was also commended for his loyalty to all of the presidents he served under and for his total intolerance for those, who in his opinion, have betrayed the cause of the party and the principles and values it embraced.

Despite his stature and high office, he remained simple and deeply rooted with the masses for which he was greatly respected and admired.
Dr. Luncheon was attracted to PPP politics because of his working-class orientation and the impact of Dr. Cheddi Jagan on his fertile and analytical mind.
There are not many who have claim to that unique distinction of reading his or her own eulogy. After it became apparent that his time was coming to an end, Dr. Luncheon began preparing his eulogy, which was delivered electronically at the time of his funeral, yet another display of his courage and ingenuity.
May his soul rest in peace!