MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Amid glowing tributes and a sombre mood at the Kendal Conference Centre, north of here, on Wednesday at the funeral service for former Cabinet Minister Dean Peart, was a clear message that his legacy of community development will never die.

Peart, affectionately called Deanie, died on July 12 at age 77.

Among the many tributes came one from former Prime Minister PJ Patterson and read by former Cabinet Minister and Manchester Central Member of Parliament (MP) John Junor. Patterson credited the Peart brothers for rebuilding the People’s National Party (PNP) in Manchester and neighbouring parishes during the “dark, difficult and gloomy days in Opposition in the 1980s”.