An insurer who went from the company mailroom to president of the Bermuda division of the insurance and reinsurance firm Aon was a man who “embodied a life of kindness, generosity and intelligence”.

Robert Barclay joined the Canadian firm that would become Reed Stenhouse in the 1950s. The company formed in Toronto in 1968 out of a merger of insurers.

Reed Stenhouse, which ultimately brought Mr Barclay to Bermuda, was acquired by Alexander & Alexander Services Inc in 1985, which was subsequently acquired by Aon in 1997.

Mr Barclay’s tenure in the 1980s coincided with the rise of international business as a mainstay of the island’s economy.

XL and Ace were just starting at the time Mr Barclay was joined by Joe Rego in the international brokerage department of the Bermuda office of Reed Stenhouse.

The two men were able to handle all of the company’s brokering, but Bermuda’s prominence in the industry was about to change.

The global insurance market turned strongly in Bermuda’s favour, in part because many US insurers were reluctant to write certain exposures.

Mr Barclay and Mr Rego soon found themselves busier than they had bargained for.

For years, the two worked as a skeleton crew in what Mr Rego recalled was a “trial by fire”, although they were able to hire an extra worker in 1990.

Mr Barclay, who rose to president of the Bermuda division, was able to retire the following year and return to Canada.

The company’s tribute called his life one of “remarkable determination and kindness”.

Mr Barclay was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and met his future wife, Wendy, in high school in Powell River, a city in the area of Canada known as the Sunshine Coast.

He died last month in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.

The tribute added: “From the humble beginnings in the mailroom at Reed Stenhouse in the 1950s, Bob’s career in the insurance business was remarkable.

“His work ethic and natural intelligence propelled him through the ranks, culminating in his role as president of the Bermuda division of Aon — a testament to his professional dedication over an impressive 42-year tenure.”

Aon said that Mr Barclay was known well for “his generosity, always extending a helping hand to those in need”.

“His kindness was a language that transcended words, and his intelligence was not merely academic but deeply rooted in an understanding of the human spirit. He will be missed by the Aon Bermuda family.”

• Robert Edward Barclay, former president of Aon Bermuda, was born on July 21, 1930. He died on July 16, 2025, aged 94