People from all walks of life came to Hamilton to honour the life of Sir John Swan this afternoon.

A crowd gathered outside the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in tribute to the country’s longest-serving premier, whom attendees described as savvy, generous and a friend to all.

John Saltus, 64, described Sir John as a family friend who became a father figure to him after the untimely death of his own father.

Mr Saltus explained: “He knew me since I was five years old.

“He was a nice person. He was very easy to talk to. He reminded me of my father in a way.”

Mr Saltus, a hotelier from Sandys, said Sir John would invite him to his office for chats and even urged him to call directly instead of arranging meetings through his secretary.

He recalled how they often discussed his family and, later, his thoughts about life on the island.

Mr Saltus said he admired Sir John’s charm and readiness to talk to anyone he saw in passing.

He added: “I’m going to miss him a lot. He’ll be missed throughout the island of Bermuda — and the world.”

Vincent Pitt, 72, said he used to clean Sir John’s car whenever he visited Hamilton for work.

He said: “He used to go to work and we’d always have a conversation about his job.

“He always said ‘make your time, clean the people’s car and collect your money at the end of the day’.”

Mr Pitt said Sir John always made time to talk to him and others and was keen to offer life advice.

He added that Sir John often spoke to schoolchildren, encouraging them to work hard and believe in themselves.

Mr Pitt said his favourite memories involved Sir John on public holidays, when he seemed his most generous.

He said: “I said to him once, ‘I’m going to see Cup Match, I might need a couple dollars’.

“He said, ‘suppose I give you 30 more after you’ve cleaned the car’.”

Mr Pitt added: “If I could say one thing about him, he was willing to help everyone.

“If he saw somebody he knew, he’d say ‘come over, take this here and get some breakfast’.

“I had a chance to meet his children and they were nice to me. When Christmas time came, they always made sure I got a gift from their daddy and mama.”

The street outside the Cathedral was closed off to traffic. Government offices were given a half day in Sir John’s honour, while others took a late lunch break or time off to pay their respects.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said she had taken a day off work and rescheduled a doctor’s appointment so she could see the funeral.

The 76-year-old nurse called Sir John “the people’s premier” and “a very friendly person”.

She added: “I know whenever he saw me on the street, he always gave me a handshake and spoke. I think people loved him for that.”

The woman, from Southampton, also knew Sir John for his generous economic policies, where he offered a 7 per cent interest rate for those who invested in his bank.

She added that she respected him for keeping to his promise of standing down as premier when the public voted against independence during the 1995 referendum.

However, his most memorable trait was his friendly personality.

She said: “He was always smiling and pleasant. He was a true gentleman in every way I can think of.”

Sir John’s funeral was livestreamed through the Government’s CITV network, which aired in public viewings at Pier 6 on Front Street and the Earl Cameron Theatre in City Hall.

Dwayne Caines, the chief executive for the City of Hamilton, described the service at the Cathedral as “a fitting tribute for a man who gave his life to service for Bermuda”.

He said: “Represented in the Cathedral was every living aspect of the Bermudian tapestry.

“We saw the business community, we saw the working class, the unions, Government and his family.

“It was just what you would expect from a man such as Sir John Swan.”

Mr Caines called Sir John’s service “a love letter” to the people of Bermuda.

He added: “I’m hoping his family felt the love from all of us who assembled to pay tribute to such a man.”