Former politician, diplomat and activist Stephen Lewis has died at age 88. 

Lewis is remembered by some as one of the most gifted speakers of his generation in Canadian politics. Journalist Steve Paikin said he had “never seen anyone move an audience like Stephen Lewis. He is simply the greatest political orator of his time.”

After quitting partisan politics, Lewis became a distinguished diplomat. He was appointed Canada’s ambassador to the UN by former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1984. Lewis held the post until 1988. 

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Time Magazine included Lewis in its 2005 list of the most influential people in the world. “Until there is a future in which the vulnerable are protected and new life and new hope can blossom again,” the magazine wrote, “Stephen Lewis will never consider his work to be done.”

The holder of 42 honorary doctorates from Canadian and American universities, Lewis was invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003 in recognition of his lifetime of public service. He was also awarded the Pearson Peace medal in 2004 by the UN Association in Canada.

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