Sir Richard Gorham, a Bermudian war veteran, prominent businessman and leading fundraiser, has died. He was 88.

Sir Richard received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his Second World War service in Italy where he carried out the dangerous work of flying a small spotter plane for the Royal Artillery.

?In my Squadron of 21, 19 were killed,? Sir Richard recalled in an interview with last year. ?You are looking at a mirage. I had a near miss once a week.

?I never crashed, but I had a lot of near misses. I was very lucky.

?But if you use your bean and have luck you can survive, probably. A lot of people had both but still were killed. It was a hit and miss affair.?

After the war, Sir Richard, who was knighted in 1994 for his service to the community, returned to Bermuda where he became deeply involved in local business.

He was president of multiple businesses including the Bermuda Paint Company, Gorhams and the Bermuda Office Supply Company and he was one of the founders of the Supermart on Front Street, which is now managed by his son Tredick.

He was also director of the Bank of Bermuda Ltd. from 1966 until he retired in 1990 and was on the board of the Argus Insurance Group.

There is a room in the Museum of Army Flying in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, England that is dedicated to Sir Richard?s achievements.

Much of Sir Richard?s wartime memorabilia and pictures can also be seen in Bermuda at the Commissioner?s House at the Bermuda Maritime Museum in Dockyard.

He served on various committees including the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, the Bermuda Floral Pageant and the Finance Committee of the United Bermuda Party.

Sir Richard was one of the original members of the UBP and was a member of the Legislative Council (now the Senate) in the 1960s and 1970s.

He was financial advisor to various scholarship schemes, the Royal Artillery Association Club of St. George?s, Summerhaven and the Matilda Smith Williams Home among many others.

The Reverend Malcolm Eve, presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, which runs the Matilda Smith Williams Home, paid tribute to Sir Richard last night for the numerous financial contributions he made to the home over the years.

?Mr. Gorham supported and advised the AME Church for many years,? he said. ?Mr. Gorham leaves an indelible impression that will serve as a standard of philanthropic involvement in this country.

?We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the life and labours of Mr. Richard Gorham.?

Sir Richard was founder of the Voluntary Independent Pensioners which began in 1954. He convinced several of his colleagues to donate their Government pensions to the VIP-Bermuda Charities Fund.

The money was used to help Bermuda?s needy in many areas, including education, emergency medical expenses, housing, military programmes, capital contributions and direct assistance to the physically handicapped.

Sir Richard leaves behind his wife Barbara, five children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.