A leading figure in the Island’s hotel and tourism industry, Reginald “Toby” Dillas, has died at the age of 76 following a short illness. He shared a home in Florida with his wife, Lauren.

A manager for the Trusthouse Forté Group, Mr Dillas mentored many Bermudians in the industry, and was one of the first locals to head up the iconic Bermudiana Hotel in Hamilton, where he served as an assistant manager.

He worked as director of sales and marketing for the Bermudiana, Belmont and Harmony Club Properties.

Mr Dillas held positions on several key committees, including the Bermuda Hotel Association. He was vice-president of the Hotel Employers of Bermuda, belonging also to the Employers Council and the Defence Exemption Tribunal. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1987.

Retiring from the private sector in 1989, Mr Dillas went on to serve in Boston as regional manager for the Bermuda Department of Tourism in New England, and later as North American director of sales, based in New York, until he stepped down in 2003.

“I’m very proud to have been part of Bermuda’s tourism product throughout my career,” Mr Dillas said in 2011, when he was honoured with a VIP Excellence Award. “I enjoyed every day of my work, I loved selling Bermuda — I have no regrets.”