Long-time Nai Harn resident Daniel Leroy Jackson died of a heart attack last week at Phuket International Hospital. He was 62.

Phuket Gazette

One of the very few African Americans living in Phuket, Jackson was a well-educated and articulate man whose interests included music, golf and politics.

Fluent in Thai, he fell in love with Thailand during the Vietnam War and retired to Phuket about seven years ago. He is survived by his wife Kaysorn and their daughter Nikki. A funeral and cremation ceremony was held at Wat Sansook in Phuket city.

Police volunteer

Separately, a British man who was respected for his work as a Tourist Police volunteer died the same day in an apparent suicide.

James Elliot was found dead in his Patong apartment.

Kathu Police said are treating as "probable suicide" the death of Elliott, 37, who was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a rented room on Nanai Road. They said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Immigration Police volunteer Tim Gardener described Elliott as a very intelligent man who had served as a medic in the British Royal Navy.

Elliott's medical background and outstanding language skills made him valuable in assisting foreign patients at Patong Hospital, he said.

"He made tireless efforts to assist in the DNA testing and identification of tsunami victims - a dreadful task for anyone to perform.

"Billy deserved extra credit as he did all this unpaid from the goodness of his heart. The staff at Patong Hospital called him 'Billy OK'."