Former Commissioner of Police George Jackson was remembered as a gentle giant and natural leader who not only commanded but inspired.

A funeral service was held to celebrate his life yesterday at the Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pembroke, attended by the senior officers of the Bermuda Police Service and other distinguished leaders.

Among guests were David Burt, the Premier, Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons, Larry Mussenden, the Chief Justice, and Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security.

Family, friends and colleagues described a man affectionately referred to as “Jacko” and “Thunda” whose life was marked by “leadership and duty”.

Mr Simons’s touching tribute to Mr Jackson spoke of “a man whose presence, leadership and contribution to policing in Bermuda are truly memorable”.

Born in Bequia, an island in St Vincent & the Grenadines, Mr Jackson came to Bermuda as a constable in 1973 at the age of 20.

Mr Simons described it as an “extremely tumultuous” period in Bermuda’s history, with the assassination of then Governor Sir Richard Sharples that had followed on from the assassination of former police commissioner George Duckett the previous year.

“From the very beginning, it was clear that Bermuda had not only gained a police officer but a future leader,” Mr Simons said.

He said that as Mr Jackson climbed the ranks from constable to detective sergeant and later inspector, his supervisors described him as “confident, efficient and meticulous”.

Mr Simons said: “His career trajectory reflected both investigative acumen and courage.

“He was praised for real strength, for his willingness to make difficult decisions and to prioritise long-term outcomes over short-term comfort.”

In December 2000, Mr Jackson was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police, serving under Jonathan Smith.

Mr Smith wrote to Mr Simons to speak of Mr Jackson’s loyalty, at which point the police commissioner became emotional, saying: “Loyal is not just support; loyal is a person who sticks by you when the going gets rough.”

Mr Jackson was credited with helping to shape modern policing in Bermuda.

Mr Simons said he was in senior policing when the service made “great strides” in professionalising investigations and introducing DNA to policing, and that as commissioner, Mr Jackson introduced highly trained, 24-hour armed response capability in Bermuda.

Fiona Miller, who served under Mr Jackson as inspector, called him “the personification of order and justice”.

She told the service: “He led with a steady hand and an unshakeable moral compass. He didn’t just command; he inspired.

“He believed that the true measure of policing was not the power it held but the trust it built. Under his watch, service wasn’t just a motto or mission statement — it was a lived reality.”

She said Mr Jackson possessed a rare gift for seeing potential within others that they had not yet seen in themselves.

She added: “He didn’t want to be the smartest person in the room; he wanted to make everyone around him smarter and stronger.”

Adrian King, an old friend of Mr Jackson from St Vincent & the Grenadines, recalled following him to Bermuda to join the police service.

Mr King said: “George became like a brother and a guiding spirit to me when we were police officers.

“We shared many memorable moments together playing cricket, and celebrated our Central County Tournament victory, which renewed our enthusiasm for the police team.”

A police procession from the church to Hamilton Police Station followed the service.

Mr Jackson, 73, died on New Year’s Day.

He spent most of his police career in the Criminal Investigation Department and Narcotics before rising through the ranks to become the first and only Bermuda Commissioner of Police from the West Indies, a position he held until his retirement in December 2009.

Ms Miller said his role as a father of six was perhaps his “most profound”.

David Greenidge, a former BPS officer, also paid tribute, focusing not only on Mr Jackson’s professional career but also the respect he gained as a civilian within the community.

He said: “A man who had given almost 40 years service to this country through his illustrious career, he never rested as a civilian and continued to be generous with his time, energy and unwavering support to all.”

A reference to Mr Jackson dying after a brief period of illness has been deleted from this story. Mr Jackson was not ill before he died.