"Loved by many and respected by all'' "A tremendous private sacrifice to serve Bermuda'' "Bermuda has lost a great individual and friend'' "His skill as a politician will be missed by the whole Country'' "An astute politician...committed to the political process'' "A stalwart in Parliament'' "He had a profound impact on the politics of the Island'' "Devoted his life to improving conditions for all the people of this Country.

He cared'' There are not many people in Bermuda who would receive tributes of that quality or of that warmth. Even his adversaries liked him.

The tributes, of course, are for Mr. L. Frederick Wade, Leader of the Opposition Progressive Labour Party, who was "loved by many and respected by all''.

Bermuda has known for some time that Freddie Wade was dangerously ill.

"Extraordinary courage and dignity'' recognises the fact that he carried on though his illness and his operations at great sacrifice to himself and to his wife, Ianthia, and his family. It can be said without question that he wore himself out in service to Bermuda. As recently as Sunday evening he appeared in public at a large official dinner at Chelston given by the US Consul General in honour of the Governor of Indiana, Evan Bayh.

He fought for what he believed in and for the aims and goals of his political party. His leadership of the party and his astute sense of Bermuda's politics took the PLP as close to victory as it has ever been. Thus he was "an astute politician...committed to the political process''. A centrist in the politics of his party, he was able to moderate the firebrands who so often cost the PLP middle class voters. In that sense "he had a profound impact on the politics of the Island''.

There can be little doubt that his legal practice would have been a great deal more lucrative and his private life under less pressure if he had not devoted himself to politics. Only his grieving family knows just how great the sacrifice was, but many people recognise that it was enormous. Thus it can be said that he made "a tremendous private sacrifice to serve Bermuda'' and we must remember that not all politicians have to do that.

The sympathy of everyone in Bermuda goes out now to his wife, Ianthia, who also devotes herself to helping Bermudians, and the rest of his family, especially the young triplets who are now deprived at far too young an age of a father's care and love.

To us, today, the phrase "he cared'' most aptly sums up the public life of L.

Frederick Wade. He cared so much for the principles in which he believed and for what he saw as best for Bermuda and the people of Bermuda that he sacrificed himself...thus "Bermuda has lost a great individual and friend''.