More than 60 people gathered at St. John's Church in Pembroke yesterday to celebrate the life of former Bermuda Governor, the late Sir Desmond Langley.

Sir Desmond, who was Governor of Bermuda from 1988 to1992, was in his late 70s when he succumbed to cancer, peacefully, at his home in England on February 14. Lady Felicity Joan Langley returned to the Island for the memorial service.

Former UBP Premier Sir John Swan recalled the fond memories he had of the former Commander-in-Chief.

Sir John, who was Premier during Sir Desmond's tenure, evoked: "It is so true when people say that he was a man who had his own character. He was not only a soldier, a statesman, he was not only a person who wanted to do right, he was a very understanding person.

"He was Governor at a time when our relationship with America was very strong. He was in Bermuda during my tenure and I had a very strong relationship with the Governor, as I had with all Governors."

Sir Desmond's funeral took place on March 7 in England. Among those present at yesterday's service was Governor Sir Richard Gozney and Lady Gozney, former Bermuda Regiment Commanding Officer Senator David Burch and Opposition Leader Kim Swan.

Many Bermudians remember Sir Desmond as a man as comfortable in the bars of Court Street as the elite clubs of Front Street.

Born in London in 1930, Sir Desmond was the son of the late Colonel Henry Langley, OBE and he was educated at Eton and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

He was commissioned into the Life Guards in 1949. Sir Desmond had a distinguished army career that took him to Germany, Aden, Egypt, Cyprus, Malaysia, as well as Northern Ireland.

He served as an Assistant Secretary in the Chiefs of Staff Secretariat in the Ministry of Defence from 1971 to 1972 and in 1979 he became Brigadier General Staff in Headquarters United Kingdom Land Forces.