Former member of parliament Austin Thomas will be fondly remembered for his fiery passion and his lifelong dedication to improving Bermuda’s way of life.Mr Thomas, who died yesterday, was well respected for commanding people’s attention with his passionate speeches straight from the heart.The teacher was one of the founding members of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and “would take no prisoners” when he took to the floor of the House of Assembly to “speak his mind”.He resigned from his teaching post at Prospect Secondary School for Girls to run as a candidate in the 1968 General Election. He represented Pembroke East for nearly 20 years until he joined the National Liberal Party.Rev Dr Martin Luther King inspired Mr Austin to become an MP when he was a student at Howard University in Washington DC. The civil rights activist preached at the university chapel and Mr Thomas spoke to him as much as he could.Friends and family have today paid tribute to the “family and church man” who held numerous community roles to improve Island life.Mr Thomas was also a proud ‘Berkeleyite’ who worked tirelessly to improve education as chairman of the Berkeley Educational Society.Mr Thomas died in Agape House aged 77 having been ill for a few months. He leaves behind his wife of nearly 49 years Eula, daughters Renee Thomas and Selena Jones and three grandchildren.Daughter Renee Thomas described her father as a devout Christian who always stood by his beliefs.She said: “He always fought to maintain standards. He particularly valued education and was a strong advocate for making sure young people and his grandchildren would receive the best education they could.“As a father he would always make sure we understood what he represented and how he was setting an example to us.”Ms Thomas remembers her father’s “strong political views” especially his no-nonsense stance on trying to eradicate drugs in his Pembroke East constituency. He used to say if the drugs problem wasn’t tackled, it would lead to violence on our streets.She said: “He had a very passionate voice on issues and he felt he should be heard.“He would always take an interest in what was going on in his constituency. It was where he lived, it was his neighbourhood, it was his upbringing.”Mr Thomas was the son of the late Reverend Harold Thomas, the pastor of Evening Light Pentecostal Church, and his mother Edith was a licensed evangelist. Mr Thomas was not only raised in his church, he was almost literally born there as his mother went into labour during a church service.Mr Thomas was educated at Central School, The Berkeley Institute, Howard University, and the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico.Former PLP premier Alex Scott, who went to Berkeley with Mr Thomas, said: “He was a larger than life character. He will always be remembered for the speeches he used to deliver.“He could go on for quite some time, but he always, always captured the full attention of the House. When Austin spoke, people listened.“Fiery, that’s the one word you would use to describe him. He made his point forcefully and he didn’t take any prisoners.“He was very emotive in the way he delivered phrases and he would make the headlines every time he spoke.”Mr Scott credits Mr Thomas with being the first to talk about Bermuda suffering “a long, hot summer” if politicians didn’t deliver on social issues.He said: “He never lost his sense of community, he was always serving the community. The interests of Bermuda always came first.“His family and the church were always very important to him. And he was a ‘Berkeleylite’ through and through.”Mr Thomas is also remembered for passionately challenging the racial divide in Bermuda and trying to remove the power from the parish vestries that he considered to be an extension of the newly-formed United Bermuda Party.Former PLP MP Reginald Burrows had been friends with Mr Thomas since their days at The Berkeley Institute. They both had an interest in politics and both became PLP MPs together in the 1968 election.Mr Burrows, who had been planning to visit Mr Thomas at Agape House yesterday, said: “He was a very passionate about Bermuda, he was one of those people who could just get up and talk for hours.“He had a very good command of the English language and always held onto people’s attention.“He was one of the new breed of MPs and he played a very important role in developing Bermuda. He loved his Island and wanted to do all he could to make it a better place to live.”Mr Austin has also been described as “exceptional musician” and “quite the man when it came to music”. He played the piano and had an “excellent baritone voice”.Former PLP MP Walter Brangman, who knew Mr Thomas for 54 years, said: “He was a very strong person, both spiritually and morally.“He was a pillar of the Evening Light Pentecostal Church as he was dedicated to the Christian principles taught to him round the dining room table.“He was a family man, committed to his wife and two daughters. He was an honest man with high integrity.”Mr Brangman, who became a PLP MP in 1977, added: “On one occasion Austin started talking in the House when the sun went down and he was still talking when the sun came up the next day.“I’d never known anyone to speak for so long, but he had a very strong voice. He was a musician and he spoke with the voice of a singer, he was very eloquent.“Austin was known for his outstanding service. He was committed to his political vision and was very strong in his beliefs.”Premier Paula Cox recalled Mr Thomas as a friend and colleague of her late father, Eugene Cox, when the PLP were in opposition.She said: “We often talked about Bermuda and Mr Thomas signalled his willingness to work with me to help advance Bermuda.“When I was the Minister of Education and Development he served on the Berkeley Board of Governors and we liaised often.”The Premier said that no one could doubt Mr Thomas’ passion and conviction about seeing Bermuda become a just and equal society for all.“He contributed much to the political scene and to the Bermudian society. Not only was he passionate about his politics he was also a man of faith and active in his church.”PLP public relations officer Curtis Williams said: “Mr Thomas will be fondly remembered for bringing the same fiery passion to Parliament, and wherever else he spoke, that he took to the pulpit on Sunday mornings.“He will also be fondly remembered for his expressive eyes and his passion for youth, education and social issues in Bermuda.”Craig Bridgewater, chairman of the Governors at the Berkeley Institute, said he was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mr Thomas.He said: “It is significant to note that the surname Thomas has been associated with the Berkeley since its earliest beginning indeed the very first Chairman (1879) and one of the Founding Fathers of The Berkeley Educational Society was Joseph Henry Thomas who was an educator who fought to improve educational standards in our Island.“Mr Thomas was the embodiment of those high ideals which motivated the Founding Fathers to open a school for the better education of the people irrespective of gender or race.“Held in very high esteem in the community, especially in clerical circles, Mr Thomas never apologised for his passion and commitment to The Berkeley Institute and the high moral standards he expected from all students“The Berkeley family chronicles the passing of a man whose sterling character, stability of purpose and steadfast devotion to the school stands as a monument for the alumnae of the school.”United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan said he had the pleasure to serve with Mr Thomas on the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast and very much enjoyed his fellowship.He said: “It was a pleasure to be in his company, he had that type of personality and a real spiritual connection. He believed in what he spoke of and will be remembered for being ahead of the game when it came to the impact that drugs would have on our society.“He had a real social conscience and wasn’t afraid to speak out about what he thought was right and fair.”Mr Thomas previously served as an executive member of the Bermuda Union of Teachers and was president of the Amalgamated Bermuda Union of Teachers.Over the years he also served as president of the Hamilton Lions Club; member of the Advisory Committee of the Hospitals Charitable Trust; the Bermuda Advisory Council of World Vision; the Bermuda Council on Ageing; and the Lion’s Quest Programme. In 1995 he was ordained an Elder of his church.