Kenneth (Smokey) Thompson, a taxi driver known for being one of the greatest ambassadors for Bermuda, died in his sleep on Tuesday night.

The 80-year-old is survived by his wife Cynthy Thompson and his seven children and stepchildren.

Mr Thompson got his first job at age 12 driving a wealthy woman in the community to church on Sundays, using his uncle’s taxi.

He went on to drive many high-profile clients around including actor Charlton Heston, comedian Carol Burnett and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, during his 48-year career as a taxi driver.

Mr Thompson also had the opportunity to drive for iconic rock band Rolling Stones, during their stay in Bermuda.

Since 2002, he worked as a concierge for PartnerRe, coordinating travel for staff to and from the airport, overseeing the homes of the executive staff while off-island and managing a host of other tasks, which allowed employees to focus on their day-to-day work.

Lindsay Hyland, PartnerRe’s Head of Talent Management, described him as being warm and welcoming and said he made people feel like part of his family.

“His title was Corporate Concierge but really he was the Corporate Grandfather,” she said. “Whether or not you were fortunate to have extended family on island, Smokey added you to his family — and made sure you knew it.

“He was our secret overseas recruiting weapon. He always collected potential new employees from the airport and by the time they got to town they were sold — on both PartnerRe and Bermuda.”

PartnerRe’s President and CEO Costas Miranthis described him as a “unique, one-in-a-million individual”.

“He was always ready to help and always knew how to help,” Mr Miranthis said. “Nothing gave him more pleasure than helping and giving, always with a smile.”

But his reach also extended beyond the walls of the office.

As a member of Heard Chapel AME Church on Glebe Road in Pembroke, Mr Thompson was always on the lookout for opportunities to help people in need.

One time he helped a young man get into a drug rehabilitation programme. He also supported him in getting back on his feet once he was sober, by finding him a job, housing and transportation.

He was also an inspiration to many young people who needed guidance in life.

According to Scott Moore, a former Chief Financial Officer at PartnerRe, Mr Thompson was one of the most pleasant and high-spirited people he ever met.

The two crossed paths in a “complete coincidence” one day when Mr Moore needed a taxi to take him to the office in late 1993 or early 1994.

Mr Thompson made a great first impression by not only driving him to work, and later the airport, but also by going above and beyond the call of duty and dropping his clothes off to the dry cleaners.

The popular driver had the freshly pressed shirts waiting in his car when the businessman returned from a trip a week or two later.

“Smokey became my go-to taxi driver ever since then,” Mr Moore said. “In 2002, PartnerRe hired him full time to coordinate transportation for all the executives coming to the island and going to and from board meetings.

“Everyone loved him, so I would say he was truly an ambassador for the nature and spirit of Bermuda.”

Albert Benchimol, President and CEO of Axis and the former CFO of PartnerRe, first met Mr Thompson in 2000 and said the two quickly became friends.

“That was the year I came to the island and was brand new and didn’t know anything about the island.

“He was the taxi driver for PartnerRe and would take me places and answer all my questions and over time we developed a friendship.

“He adopted people into his family and he would take care of your children. If ever my children had any sports or basketball games when you were out of town, he would show up and cheer for them in the stands.”

Mr Benchimol started to refer to Mr Thompson as his Bermudian uncle and said nothing was ever too much for him to do to help you.

Mr Thompson will be missed greatly by family, friends and his former colleagues.

Phil Martin, Senior VP Head of HR Group Service, said: “We will miss Smokey more that I can put into words.

“Smokey was simply a great person and represented everything good in life, he is a role model for us all. We will miss him dearly.”