Hundreds of mourners packed the St Paul AME Church on Victoria Street yesterday to bid a final farewell to Ottiwell Simmons, the union leader and MP who died last week.

It was standing room only in the nave of the church, and scores of others had to view the service via video link in the church’s neighbouring Centennial Hall.

The Reverend Nicholas Tweed opened the funeral service, which took place on what would have been Mr Simmons’s 90th birthday.

Mr Tweed told the congregation – which included union representatives and a slew of politicians from both sides of the House of Assembly – that the day should be one of celebration rather than mourning.

He said: “We are here to celebrate a life well lived, a journey that is etched through the highways of Bermuda’s history.”

Mr Simmons died on June 16 after a short illness. The veteran activist served as president of the Bermuda Industrial Union between 1974 and 1996, and was also a Progressive Labour Party MP, representing Pembroke East between 1976 and 2007.

Tributes were paid by a host of union colleagues and both political allies and foes – all of whom referred to “Ottie” as their friend as well as a mentor.

PLP MP Derrick Burgess said Mr Simmons had been painted as “a villain” by an “unfriendly” government and print media during his time as BIU leader.

Describing the 1980s and 1990s as “turbulent times”, Mr Burgess said: “All the BIU wanted was a fair share of the profits to improve our lives.

“I believe Bermuda needed an Ottiwell Simmons. All workers in Bermuda have benefited from the sacrifices and struggles of Brother Ottie.”

BIU president Chris Furbert said that he had been honoured and privileged to work under Mr Simmons.

He said: “To us, Brother Ottie was a visionary – a voice of fairness, a resilient leader and a man of principle. Thank you Brother Ottie – which is probably not said enough.”

He said that a mural of Mr Simmons’s portrait will be painted on the wall of the union’s headquarters alongside other BIU leaders.

Mr Furbert emphasised that Mr Simmons had always opposed such a tribute in his lifetime, but the project could now go ahead.

He said: “We have saved a spot for him between Dr [E.F.] Gordon and Dr [Barbara] Ball, and he deserves that recognition.

“Brother Ottie touched the lives of so many Bermudians and others around the world. He was an iconic leader who will be etched in history.”

Former premier Ewart Brown said that no accolade was sufficient to sum up Mr Simmons’s achievements.

He described the former BIU leader as “a warrior who stood up when it was not fashionable to stand up”.

He also touchingly revealed the last time he saw Mr Simmons – when he was gravely ill in a New York hospital.

Dr Brown said: “Death is difficult to understand, but death can be dignified. This man was a picture of dignity – calm and serene. What a kind and sensitive gentleman, welcoming me into the ICU.

“Ottie was a beacon of courage who opened the doors through which we walk so casually today. His leadership is alive.”

David Burt, the Premier, and Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier, led the Government’s tributes to their former colleague.

Mr Burt said that Mr Simmons had been vilified by opponents during his time as a politician and as fighter for workers’ rights.

He said: “We come today in this historic place of worship to set aside the pretence of how others may tell the story of this incredible life and to declare that Ottie Simmons was a great leader in the history of Bermuda.

“Today thousands of workers in Bermuda bask in the shade of benefits that in recent generations were unheard of.

“Look at the very real sacrifices he made and the sacrifices his family had to make, the dangers faced.”

Walter Roban, who took over from Mr Simmons as MP for the Pembroke East constituency in 2007, said he knew that expectations on him were high because of his predecessor’s record.

He said: “His service in both trade unionism and politics, especially PLP politics, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of Bermuda.

“Ottie was the people’s champion, a champion of the voiceless, challenger to the powerful and a shepherd to the workers in realising their rights.”

Other tributes were paid by PLP MP Christopher Famous, former Speaker of the House Randy Horton, and former political opponents John Barritt and Sir John Swan, who both served in United Bermuda Party administrations – Sir John as Premier.

Sir John said that he had been childhood friends with Mr Simmons.

“None of us thought that we would go on to play a part in making Bermuda a better place,” Sir John said.

“We may have had our differences sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we could not be friends. Ottie was my special friend.”

Mr Barritt said that he first met Mr Simmons as a reporter with The Royal Gazette.

Mr Barritt said: “He was a tough interview. He had to be tough. He was a man of his times for his times. He saw what was wrong with Bermuda, and he tried to put it right. That’s what was in his heart.”

But it was not just figures from the world of politics who paid tribute. Other speakers included Claudette Fleming, the former head of Age Concern, who explained how Mr Simmons had worked for the charity in retirement, championing the rights of seniors, along with representatives of prayer groups who applauded Mr Simmons’s deep religious faith.

While many of those who spoke referred to Mr Simmons’s leadership qualities, his sacrifice, his strength, his determination and belief in justice, family members revealed a softer side to the politician’s character, pointing out that he was a man of great emotional sensitivity.

One cousin said: “While most of Bermuda saw Ottie as a lion, we saw him as a lamb.”

Mr Tweed closed out the ceremony with a eulogy in which he urged the congregation to follow Mr Simmons’s example.

Describing Mr Simmons as a man of vision, he added: “Ottie would freely confess that he wasn’t perfect and that he made mistakes. He had to live with regret.

“But the sign of a big man is when you recognise your mistakes and are committed to acknowledging them and working to correct them.

“The best celebration is emulation. Make Ottie’s legacy be making a hero out of you. Be strong and resolute.”

After the 3½-hour service, a police motorcade and BIU members carrying union banners led the funeral procession to St John’s Church where Mr Simmons was buried.

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