Bermuda's Government Pays Tribute to Longest Serving Head of Government

HAMILTON,  Bermuda - Premier David Burt has paid tribute to the longest serving premier and prominent businessman, Sir John Swan, who has died at the age of 90. His exact cause of death has not been made public.

Sir John Swan (File Photo)“Sir John dominated Bermuda’s politics for a generation and for over a decade served as Premier of Bermuda. His tenure was historic and those of us who have followed him in this office still feel the shadow of his larger-than-life presence.

“Our politics often saw us on opposing sides, but we were united in a love of this Island, and her people. Sir John’s “common touch” remains a hallmark of his life and legacy,” Burt said,  adding “he certainly “walked with kings but never lost the common touch.

“On behalf of the Government and People of Bermuda I express our heartfelt prayers for the comfort of his children and his family. The legacy of this patriarch is a story of humble beginnings, dogged determination, business and political skill and success, founded in a genuine heart for service,”  he said with the government announcing that flags on Government buildings will be flown at half mast as of Friday.

Sir John was a real estate developer and philanthropist, widely respected for his keen political and business insight, matched by his humility and gentlemanly demeanour.

Sir John was visually impaired and had dyslexia from   childhood, but he learned to overcome obstacles through determination and a belief in his ability to succeed.

In 1962, he founded the John W. Swan Agency, a real estate development and savings and loan company offering services in architecture, construction, land development, rentals, and property management.

Between 1968 and 1978, the company developed 40 per cent of Bermuda’s residential homes. Sir John helped modernise the City of Hamilton through numerous building projects, including Bermuda’s first condominium complex and the island’s first 10-storey development.

He was elected to Parliament in 1972 and over his 25-year political career, he held several important Cabinet posts and in 1982, Sir John became Premier of Bermuda, a position he held for 13 and a half years until 1995.

His most lasting political achievement was leading the negotiations for the 1985 USA – Bermuda Tax Convention. The resulting agreement helped establish Bermuda’s reinsurance and insurance sectors and secured the island’s reputation as a major offshore financial centre, laying the groundwork for the strong, regulated economy Bermuda has today.

In 1990, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) and appointed a Justice of the Peace. In 2010, he was one of the first four inductees into the Bermuda Business Hall of Fame.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia Wesleyan College, which also awarded him an Honorary Doctorate. He received additional honorary doctorates from Atlantic Union College, the University of Tampa, and Morris Brown College.

Sir John served as chairman of the Swan Group of Companies and remained actively involved in international business, public policy, and real estate development, including his long-time advocacy for the revitalization of the Hamilton Waterfront.