Well-known writer, commentator and columnist Rex Murphy has passed away.

He was 77.

Murphy, who grew up in Placentia, was a Rhodes Scholar and former president of the Memorial University student council.

His political ambition saw him run unsuccessfully under the Liberal banner in the 1985 provincial election in Placentia and again in St. John’s East the following year.

It was his acerbic wit and literary skill that helped him gain prominence nationally, offering political commentary on CBC, and hosting Cross Country Check Up before retiring from the show in 2015.

He then shared his wordsmithing in columns for The Globe and Mail and, later, the National Post.

A one-time Liberal, he became an outspoken critic of Liberal policy in his later years, and often courted controversy for his views on climate change and environmental policy.

There is no immediate word on funeral arrangements.