Shawn Crockwell was a man of conviction who desired change and, above all, unity for Bermuda, speakers told a packed church hall at his funeral.

The passing of Mr Crockwell, 47, a prominent lawyer, MP and father of three, has rocked the community since he was discovered at his Hamilton Parish residence on June 10.

His casket stood draped in the Bermuda flag yesterday at the Southampton Seventh-day Adventist Church, where guests included: John Rankin, the Governor; Michael Dunkley, the Premier; Opposition leader David Burt; the Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, Anglican Bishop of Bermuda; Chief Justice Ian Kawaley; Deputy Speaker of the House Suzann Roberts-Holshouser, and various members of the Cabinet and legislature as well as former premiers and representatives of the courts.

Mr Dunkley hailed his colleague as an extraordinary and charismatic man, adding: “Shawn was a dynamic public personality, and his vitality will be missed in the places that he lived, in his professional life, in the courts, the meeting rooms and, yes, the floor of the House of Assembly.”

The Premier recalled a friendship that “began in politics but forged through the love of sports” — especially the Dallas Cowboys.

Addressing Mr Crockwell’s children Curtis Hill, Shauntino Simons and Maya Crockwell, Mr Dunkley said: “He loved you more than anything in the world. No one who came in touch with Shawn and spent time with your father would not come away knowing just how much he loved his children.”

Mr Crockwell was a man who wanted Bermudians to come together, the Premier added.

“That work continues, and I, with others, will do our best to carry forward that promise and that hope that Shawn carried in his heart. Let’s not let his death be in vain.”

Mr Burt told the congregation that to say Mr Crockwell’s life was “observed, respected and appreciated by many would be an understatement”.

“It was Shawn’s warrior spirit that made him a beacon that so many in Bermuda could look to and connect with and follow.”

Mr Burt spoke of the adversity faced by black men, as well as the challenges that Mr Crockwell had risen above — and the courage of his convictions, whether as chairman of the United Bermuda Party, a founder of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, or as a minister in the One Bermuda Alliance.

Reviewing Mr Crockwell’s career, Mr Burt said he had spent two decades, often through physical pain, serving the country.

“Shawn ultimately stayed true to his convictions, and sat as an independent,” Mr Burt added, saying Mr Crockwell had stood firmly by his beliefs.

His wish was for “a unified Bermuda”, the Leader of the Opposition added, “and it is up to us to make his dream a reality”.

Rising in tribute to his friend and colleague, fellow independent MP Mark Pettingill brought laughter on occasion, sharing that Mr Crockwell had once presented him with a picture of “the two of us getting on jet” as a Christmas present — in reference to the Jetgate scandal of 2013.

“He gave it to me for the reason of learning from the mistakes you make,” Mr Pettingill said.

Calling his friend “a quiet, reflective man”, Mr Pettingill shared some lines from a message left by Mr Crockwell.

“In his final message, he left a vision for this country, and I am going to share some of them with you,” he said, reading of “a dream of love thy neighbour — that we cannot stand as a house divided; neither can the house stand simply on sand that looks really pretty”.

“The time is now for realising a place of equality, of forgetting differences, or not thinking of ourselves as black or white, left or right, rich or poor — but as Bermudians engaged in a struggle for unity.

“That was our friend’s vision for this country, and he was living it, and doing his best to make it a reality.”

Childhood friends Owen Simons, and Wayne and Dwayne Caines recounted a man who was variously a classmate in the Bermuda Institute’s class of 1988, a student at Oakwood University and a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Family friend Sheila Holder read tributes from the Crockwells, including from his mother, Juanita, who wrote: “Shawn, I am so proud of who you became. Not because of the things you achieved, but because of the obstacles you overcame to achieve them. You have always been special to me and your family — now I know what Granny meant when she said ‘I love you more than tongue can tell’.”

Delivering the eulogy, Damon Hendrickson, the pastor for the Somerset and Rockaway Seventh-day Adventist Churches, described his cousin as a man who desired change and who “became a friend to some, an inspiration to many and dare I say it, a hero for our country”.

Adding that Mr Crockwell “didn’t let his personal struggle keep him from being a part of the struggle that it takes to be part of the process of change”, Mr Hendrickson wished for “a Bermuda where everyone instead of being critical of each one, made a conscious choice to serve in spite of their struggle”.

He added: “If my cousin could go through his personal struggles and still decide that he was going to be a part of the struggle that it takes to make a change, then what is your excuse?”

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