Dear Sir,

My husband and I send our heartfelt sympathy to Sir John, Alison and Robert, Amanda and Paul, Nicholas, and her grandchildren Hayden, Sebastian and Amelia at this very sad time.

Jackie Swan was fiercely loyal to her immediate and extended family, and also to Bermuda and Bermudians. She was my closest friend for 44 years and I felt that we were like sisters; I’m going to miss her dearly.

On a regular basis, over all these years, we discussed, debated, argued, fought, critiqued and ran ideas by each other about family, social and political issues that beset Bermuda.

We rarely gossiped, I’m proud to say. She was a teacher who was very proud to see some of her students on the street as she passed by and saw that they had become contributing adult members of our society and felt that she in some small way assisted in their success.

When her husband become involved in politics, she was young and could have just sat back and supported him in his endeavours, but she was asked to sit on various boards where she was not just a name on the letterhead, but became a very involved board member and an active participant for many years.

Many of these meetings she attended until this year. Her role as wife of the Premier was, and is, unsurpassed where she took on that role with class, grace, dignity and tastefulness — and Bermuda benefited.

Her fundraising skills were excellent. She tirelessly raised funds for Packwood Home and remained an active member on its board for years. She became a volunteer Pink Lady and was a regular and committed volunteer who took her role seriously.

She was also a fantastic fundraiser for the old hospital and our brand new hospital with great enthusiasm.

There are so many areas in the community where she quietly worked or advised or cajoled people into commencing social programmes, and Bermuda has so much to thank her for. She will be missed by everyone.

I am so glad and proud that she was my friend.

KIM YOUNG