The death of life-long lawyer, former Transport Minister and avid fisherman James Appleby Pearman was announced yesterday.

Mr. Pearman, 74, joined law-firm Conyers Dill & Pearman (CD&P) straight out of law school in 1959 at the age of 27 and only just retired some five years ago.

"He will be sadly missed by the firm," managing partner John Collis said last night. "CD&P was his entire life."

Mr. Collis said the Island owed Mr. Pearman appreciation for encouraging and nurturing international business during its formative years.

"When international business was new you needed people like James Pearman out drumming up business for Bermuda," Mr. Collis said. "He was one of the ones who deserves a good measure of appreciation for what he has done."

He said Mr. Pearman was a hard-working and active member of the firm right up his retirement.

However, the Pearman family have continued to devote themselves to local jurisprudence as Mr. Pearman's son Peter made partner at CD&P in 2005.

James A. Pearman continued in the footsteps of his father Sir James Pearman who was a United Bermuda Party (UBP) MP from 1968 to 1972.

Mr. Pearman was elected for two terms as a UBP MP from 1972 to 1980 when he was Minister of Transport.

Former Tourism Minister C.V. (Jim) Woolridge had fond memories of Mr. Pearman at the House of Assembly and was saddened to hear of his death.

"I am saddened and quite surprised to hear of his death although I know he had not enjoyed good health of late," Mr. Woolridge said. "I want to extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Sue and his children."

As a fledgling politician, Mr. Woolridge said he was tutored in the ways of the House of Assembly by Mr. Pearman and his father.

"When I first came into politics I asked Sir James what advice he would give a young politician. Sir James said 'Only speak when you have to and only when you know what you are talking about,'" he said. "It was simple but correct and concise."

Mr. Woolridge remembered Mr. Pearman as distinguished and articulate MP.

"I watched people, the way they talked and stood. He emulated his father," he said. "Something I will always remember is that James A. invited the entire UBP caucus to his office for a luncheon so that we could get acquainted socially with each other.

"Others carried it on. This helped us not just to serve but to form a true partnership."

Former Government Party Whip, Christopher (Kit) Astwood went to school with Mr. Pearman, who attended Saltus Grammar School until the age of 13 until he left Bermuda for boarding school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire in England.

Mr. Pearman read law at Merton College, Oxford but Mr. Astwood went to Cambridge, he said.

"He was a keen golfer and an avid fisherman," Mr. Astwood said.

Mr. Pearman represented Bermuda at the World Amateur Championship of golf but held several world fishing records and was even selected, similarly to his father, to represent the British Empire fishing team.

"He went out to Argus and Challenger Banks regularly," Mr. Astwood said. "He even took the trouble to go to Florida to fish and even Scandinavia to salmon fish."

Mr. Astwood appointed Mr. Pearman to stamp out segregation in social clubs as part of the Race Relations Advisory Council.

"He took the job of desegregating fishing clubs," he said. "We asked him to because he was the obvious man to ask to do it. My condolences to Sue, his wife and his family at his sudden passing and we will all miss him."

Mr. Pearman of Shaw Wood House, Pembroke was survived by his wife Suzanne and three children.

Funeral arrangements were pending last night.