A former Chief Education Officer also served as principal at West End Primary School and was known as a devoted member of Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Joseph Sinclair Richards was acknowledged as a pioneer in Bermuda’s public schools by both the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education.

Mr Richards was hailed as “an exceptional educator, breaking boundaries and trailblazing during his professional career, which started in 1950”.

“He remained committed to education and Bermuda’s children and their future and, by extension, the island of Bermuda, for over 40 years.”

He spent the first 12 years of his career teaching at primary school level. He taught at Harrington Sound Primary; Central School, which is now known as Victor Scott; and Purvis Primary, teaching the foundational skills that “set students up for success in senior school”.

“He would have set hundreds of children on a trajectory for success at senior school and in life.”

Mr Richards’s tenure also included serving as a deputy principal.

In 1962, he became the principal at West End Primary and held the post for 12 years.

He also served as an education officer with the Department of Education for five years, and in 1976 was appointed Chief Education Officer, a post he held for 12 years.

Mr Richards was made an honorary fellow of the Bermuda College in 1997.

The ministry added that he was an outstanding veteran educator who worked in various roles in education, “from teacher, to deputy principal, to principal, education officer and then Chief Education Officer, the position known as the Commissioner of Education today.

“He had a no-nonsense approach to education and believed that teachers are key and they must be held accountable; that leaders must lead with integrity and authority and also be held accountable; that constantly examining practices and taking action is imperative for school improvement; and that high expectations and standards cannot be compromised.”

Mr Richards and his wife, Gilda, had four children: Melody, Ester, Joy and Terrence.

• Joseph Sinclair Richards, a former Chief Education Officer, was born on January 14, 1933. He died in January 2024, aged 91.