Albert “Shorty” Churm a former St George’s fire chief and dedicated sportsman who excelled as a jockey in the days of the Shelly Bay racetrack, has died at the age of 84.

Kenneth Bascome, former St George’s mayor and MP, recalled Mr Churm as “an upstanding figure in the community,” who served as a volunteer fire chief for nearly 20 years.

He passed a few days after the death of his son, also called Albert and nicknamed Shorty, for whom a “celebration of life” service will be held at St George’s Dinghy and Sport Club this evening.

Mr Bascome said Mr Churm Sr was an avid golfer, and a dedicated regular at the Belmont Hills Golf Club.

He was also well known in the East End for his tenure as manager of the Gosling’s branch in St George’s.

But it was his time as a jockey, when the races at Shelly Bay drew impressive crowds, that Mr Churm looked back upon with special pride, telling this newspaper in an interview last year: “No bragging ­— but I was one of Bermuda’s best.”

The same stature that earned Mr Churm his nickname back in school suited him well as a jockey in the 1950s — the last hurrah for the Shelly Bay racetrack, where he met his wife, Fanny, in 1954.

Horse racing began at the fields there in 1864, growing into a popular Christmas tradition for families. Mr Churm discovered it as a teenager, watching the horses train early in the mornings and eventually getting invited to help out.

Although apprenticed as a mechanic, Mr Churm could earn a better wage racing, and enjoyed the thrill despite occasional mishaps such as a pile-up when he was 28 that left him with lifelong back problems. He raced locally and abroad until the Shelly Bay races closed in 1961.

“He was probably one of the only jockeys from Bermuda who worked professionally at foreign racetracks, at least that I know of,” said friend and golfing partner James DeCouto.

Mr Churm played for the tournament known as the Belmont Invitational for 49 consecutive years, Mr DeCouto added.

“He was very good company to keep, always had a joke to tell, and I always enjoyed playing with him.”

Fred Wheatley, a childhood friend, remembered Mr Churm as “a great guy — I grew up with him; he was always a jockey”.

“He had his own pony, Antigua Lady, which I used to ride. When it came to horses, he was an all-rounder, and Shorty was an all-round good guy.”

Although he grew up in the neighbourhood of Mount Hill, Pembroke, Mr Churm left his mark on St George’s, where he first volunteered as a fireman in 1962. He remained with the service for 27 years.