Former Premier Sir David Gibbons was remembered as a dedicated family man, an astute entrepreneur, a far-sighted politician and one of the architects of modern Bermuda at an Anglican Cathedral memorial service yesterday.

At the service, presided over by Bishop of Bermuda Nicholas Dill, Sir David was eulogised by sons David and James Gibbons as well as longtime friend and political colleague Sir John Swan, who succeeded him as Premier in 1982.

“We have lost a true entrepreneurial, patriotic son of the soil who believed that man’s greatest contribution to his country is to add value to value in all aspects of life,” Sir John told the packed congregation.

“This led Sir David to make an extraordinary contribution to Bermuda. Sir David lived by principles of honesty, integrity, hard work and discipline.

“He had the humility to admit what he did not know. That in itself is strength. He especially used it when he became involved in politics. He was eager to ask why and welcomed an explanation.”

Sir David, who died last month at the age of 86, built up the family firm inherited from father Edmund into a major corporate force both in Bermuda and overseas.

Edmund Gibbons Ltd is made up of several arms, including the Gibbons Company, Colonial Insurance, Bermuda Motors and drinks firm Burrows Lightbourn and retains a stake in the Clarien Bank, formerly the Capital G Bank.

He was also chairman of the Bank of Butterfield between 1975 and 1984.

Sir David became Bermuda’s Premier in 1977 and also served as Finance Minister from 1975 until 1984.

Sir John described Sir David as both multidimensional and an inveterate multitasker.

“He was a family man, a Harvard educated economist, a very successful businessman, a politician, a sportsman and a philanthropist,” he said. “He lived a very busy life and had to travel extensively.

“He always credited his wife, Lady Lully Gibbons, for doing the lion’s share in child rearing and spending all her time with their three sons, Thomas, David and James.

“Lady Gibbons was Sir David’s pride and joy with her caring, friendly personality and her enthusiasm for life and family, including Edie his daughter from his first marriage.”

Sir John said Sir David and his family had made many charitable contributions to Bermuda over the years, often in a quiet and inconspicuous manner.

“Not only did these contributions come in monetary form but (the family) donated 24 acres of property off the Middle Road in Devonshire to The Bermuda National Trust as well as five acres on the western end of the Devonshire Marsh to the Audubon Society so that both properties would be preserved in perpetuity for the Bermudian people,” he said. “Sir David also, on behalf of Edmund Gibbons Ltd, donated $500,000 to the Bermuda Hospital Trust building fund for the new wing of the hospital.”

Sir John recalled Sir David’s sporting prowess, pointing out he had won Bermuda’s junior singles tennis championship and the junior doubles championship with the late Chester Butterfield in 1944.

“In 1956 he played on the Mid-Ocean Club team in the Goodwill Tournament against teams that came from the UK, the US and Canada to compete,” said Sir John. “Sir David’s team was runners up on two occasions.

“Sir David was also quite a competent underwater diver, a sport he continued well into his 70s.”

Sir John described Sir David as “an extraordinary, successful businessman”, pointing out he was perhaps the youngest person ever appointed as a director of a bank in Bermuda when he became a member of the Butterfield board at the age of 30.

“Sir David was a master at seeing an opportunity that most of us might have missed,” said Sir John. “He attended boarding school with Bill Ford and they played soccer together. Bill Ford was the grandson of Henry Ford.

“He contacted Bill Ford requesting that Gibbons Company become agents for Ford Motor cars in Bermuda and Ford Motors agreed. In one year 997 cars were sold.

“David’s father saw the opportunity to set up an insurance company to insure the cars and that was the impetus that led to the formation of Colonial Insurance.

“Through Sir David’s initiatives Colonial Insurance expanded to the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman and Turks & Caicos.”

First elected to the House of Assembly in 1972, Sir David was first asked by Premier Sir Edward Richards to join the Cabinet as Minister of Health in 1974.

In 1975 Sir David was appointed Minister of Finance and the following year introduced a balanced budget and committed Government to repay the national debt.

“Sir David (proceeded to) produce balanced budgets until he retired and simultaneously paid off some of our national debt,” said Sir John.

As Premier Sir David served during a tumultuous period in Bermuda’s history, contending with both the 1977 riots and the 1981 General Strike.

“He came to understand that social justice cannot prosper without widespread economic success,” said Sir John. “Unless social justice is founded on economic growth, its content will be too stunted to satisfy any reasonable sense of justice.

“In 1978 he commissioned a social review of Bermuda by the renowned social psychologist and African American Scholar, Dr Kenneth Clark. The findings led to the establishment of the Human Rights Commission, the Bermuda Housing Corporation and other significant social programmes.”

Sir John said during his stewardship the legislative foundations were also laid for Bermuda’s modern reinsurance industry and international business sector.

“He was a very knowledgeable person and an insightful speaker who spoke very rapidly,” said Sir John. “However, he delivered factual information without fluff but crowded with facts from his wide experiences, his incessant reading and the people he had met and talked to during his extensive travels around the world.

“Sir David always emphasised we must adjust to changing times but still hold on to unchanging principles like honesty, integrity, hard work and discipline.

“He has left a tremendous legacy of public service and we thank him for the gift.”

Aside from his wife and four children, Sir David is also survived by his brother E Graham Gibbons, sister Patsy Phillips, eight grandchildren, three nephews and a niece.