I have hesitated to add my few words to the tributes pouring in from Sir John Swan, I believe strongly in the maxim that ex-politicians should refrain from entering the public debate. But, he was so important to me and my family that I cannot let this moment pass without comment.

As I have read the many tributes, I have grown to understand that Sir John was many different things to the thousands of people he interacted with, helped, counselled or supported. He was extraordinary in his ability to connect with presidents and commoners alike. All were comfortable with him, all felt engaged and listened to.

I served Sir John from before his election to Premier to his recent venture back into politics with the independent movement. Throughout that period, he was always principally one thing to me, the Boss. I was his campaign chair for most of his elections and helped write some of his speeches. This was a man who suffered with dyslexia, who found the written word a challenge. When I first met him, he wore glasses that seemed like they were an inch thick, he had a decent size Afro and felt almost reluctant to participate in public engagements.

He came to speak to the United Bermuda Party Under 40 Caucus in 1977, I was president and we were getting enormous pressure and flak from the hierarchy of the UBP for being so radical in our propositions. As a Minister in the then-Government, he welcomed our liberal leanings, challenged us to be more radical and called for a peaceful revolution, a significant shift in the way the races interacted in Bermuda. I was hooked from that moment on.

During campaigns when he was delivering several speeches a day, we would sit in his car on the way to the event, I would read the speech several times and he would deliver it perfectly. His ability to retain complex and long material was unbelievable. During campaigns I would usually begin my day, before the sun rose, in his kitchen where he and Lady Jacquie would begin their day, discussing priorities and schedules. And we would usually end it late at night, analysing how the day had gone.

After he had appointed me as a senator, I continued the relationship outside of campaigns and watched his unique ability to connect, to persuade, sometimes to compromise, but never to lose sight of his objectives. He was passionate about the need to create a Black middle class, to encourage as many Bermudians as possible to own their piece of the rock. He believed that everybody had wisdom to share, if we only took the time to listen. And his sharp, sometimes wicked sense of humour was never far from the surface.

And he always looked beyond the surface. He knew people’s facilities and would surprise people with the depth of his knowledge and compassion. When one of my sons, who was experiencing his own learning disabilities graduated, Sir John volunteered to travel up to Connecticut and deliver the graduation speech. And as we gathered with teachers and my son’s fellow graduates at the school, I lost Sir John. He was due up for his speech but had gone absent without leave. I found him, quietly sitting with a group of learning challenged children and you could see the inspiration he had created in their eyes. Sir John never forgot, he asked my son to help with some writing he needed done, he encouraged him and gave him needed advice.

I watched him as a minister of his Government. I saw him interact with Prime Ministers and presidents, form friendships with Government ministers, senior financial figures, leaders from around the world. John W Swan took us from being this tiny, charming backwater of an island to a respected, prosperous leader of small nations. We had people flocking to Bermuda from the south, seeking advice on how we/he had succeeded where so many had failed. If you look at the per capita income change during his tenure, the homeownership statistics, the growth in wealth, the improvement in public infrastructure, all without burdening national debt, you begin to understood the miracle he created.

And if you read the words of praise from so many folks, political, community, business you begin to understand that this man was more than just a great political leader, he was, as has already been said, a once in a lifetime leader. He was the creator of the Bermuda of 2000. A place of hope, of shared optimism where both races were united in being Bermudian.

Sir John wasn’t just a man that came from little to become one of the most successful business people in Bermuda, probably the greatest leader we have had, a friend, mentor and father figure, he was an individual who had so little to start, had significant learning challenges, was technically almost blind when elected to the position of Premier and still became a national hero!

I could go on and on with thousands of interactions, of stories that were, indeed still are, extraordinary. But, another time perhaps. Suffice to say that I still cannot believe he has gone. I still find myself wanting to text him, I still wait for that invitation to have breakfast with him so we can evolve how to get Bermuda out of this or that challenge. Because he never stopped thinking, or planning, evolving ideas for the future. And while some of today’s leaders are poorer for spurning his offers to advise, many are so much richer for agreeing.

I have been asked by many over the past few days what it was that I thought made John Swan unique. It’s a difficult question, because in reality it was so many things that came together, so many talents, so much insight in one human being. But, of all this, the one thing that really did separate him from so many was his quite extraordinary empathy. He listened, he understood, he had no airs of self importance, he mixed with everyone, he was content with everyone, he connected and he helped so very many.

So farewell boss, go in peace. I just hope your talents will be appreciated on your next journey. Thank you for making my life so much richer. You are deeply missed.

• Michael Winfield is a former government minister, United Bermuda Party senator and campaign chairman. He was also president and chief executive officer of Cambridge Beaches