Cassandra Butts, 50, who was nominated by United States President Barack Obama in 2014 to serve as Ambassador to The Bahamas was found dead in her Washington, DC, home last week, the US State Department has announced.
Butts would have been the first U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011.
According to her family Butts, sought medical attention earlier in the week when she took ill, however she died before learning that she was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
Although Ms. Butts was nominated by the president her nomination was help up by Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
Ms. Butts was a long-time friend and advisor to the president.
President Obama in a press statement recalled Ms. Butts passion for public service.
“It was a passion she’d chase for the rest of her life – on Capitol Hill, at the NAACP Legal Defense Educational Fund, at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and as an advisor of mine – but above all, as a citizen always pushing, always doing her part to advance the causes of opportunity, civil rights, development and democracy,” President Obama said.
Although Ms. Butts had not been assigned officially to The Bahamas, the U.S Embassy in Nassau said she had been honored to be the country’s next ambassador in line.
“She was greatly looking forward to forging even stronger ties between our two nations,” the statement said,” a statement from the US Embassy said.
“Even while patiently awaiting US Senate confirmation, Cassandra was a great friend to the Bahamas. Over the last year, she worked closely with the Bahamas in her capacity as a senior advisor at the US Mission to the United States.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said that although she never had the chance to serve in the country, he had the opportunity to work with her during last year’s General Assembly of the United Nations where she was on special assignment.
“She was thoughtful, organized, helpful and sober. She had a keen sense of judgment on how to approach the tasks at hand,” the minister said.
“I looked forward to her confirmation and to her working the The Bahamas.”
“I believe that the United States has lost a great patriot. I believe that The Bahamas has lost a friend.”
