FRIENDS, colleagues and supporters gathered to pay tribute to the late David Allen in a moving service at the Anglican Cathedral yesterday.

Throughout the ceremony, Mr. Allen was praised for his leadership, his commitment to the Progressive Labour Party and his pride in, dedication to, and devotion to Bermuda - both as his home and as a tourist destination.

Mr. Allen died last week at the age of 59.

Premier Jennifer Smith said she first became acquainted with the former Tourism Minister when she started out in politics in 1972. The two of them, she said, along with Minister of Works & Engineering Alex Scott, became a force to be reckoned with and a great friendship developed.

Describing Mr. Allen as "eloquent, erudite, provocative and forceful", the Premier said he was a "man with a mission . . . a motivating force" . . . who was "loyal to his friends, devoted to duty and responsible to his community, his family and his heritage.

"Every aspect of tourism has David's signature," she said.

Earlier the Archdeacon of Bermuda, the Ven. Dr. Arnold Hollis, said the Minister always "spoke with such ardour about his island home as a tourist destination . . . He walked as though his mind was always in the clouds but, more likely, he was fixed on the problems in front of him. Bermuda suffered the early loss of a significant leader."

Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons spoke of Mr. Allen's many contributions. "No one can doubt his dedication to his work or his passion for Bermuda; the tenacity he brought to the Tourism Board, as Shadow Minister and as Minister. He was one of Bermuda's biggest boosters and worked tirelessly to encourage people around the world to visit (what he saw as) the best place on earth."

Bermuda Hotel Association president Norman Mastalir said the late Minister had brought "vibrant energy and unfailing resolve to succeed with his vision of a new day in tourism. The seeds he has planted are strong," he said, "and, with our continued care, will blossom into something wonderful in the years to come."

Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess said Mr. Allen had worked hard to get hotel employees involved in decision-making processes.

"He was a man of principle and integrity. David Allen proved his worth to the very end," he said.

Perhaps Minister of Works & Engineering Alex Scott, a close friend of the late Tourism Minister, summed it up best when he said: "Minister Allen was my friend. He was my colleague. He was my comrade-in-arms.

"He worked very hard in the cause of Bermuda, in pursuit of social and economic justice for all of us, in the ideology of the labour movement for many years in the promotion and development of Bermuda as a premier tourist destination.

"He literally lived and breathed tourism and Bermuda. He was an indispensible man . . . David Allen was a visionary. He was brilliant. He was possessed of smart wit."