Tributes have been paid to famous Bermudian John Young II who has died at the age of 90.

He was the last survivor of Bermuda?s first Olympic team, which competed in the 1936 Berlin Games, and was known to regularly swim from Somerset Bridge to Hamilton and back as part of his training during his youth.

Last summer he and wife Nelga gifted 68 paintings and sculptures from their private collection to the Bermuda National Gallery including an endowment to pay for the maintenance of the art work.

But it is the creation of one of the first cottage colony resorts, Lantana in Somerset, during the 1950s for which he will be most remembered.

Mr. Young reluctantly shut Lantana?s doors in 1998 but the resort kept its reputation for friendliness and excellent service to the end. Lantana is set to re-open next year under new ownership.

Mr. Young has been ill since last June and was most recently being cared for at the Westmeath Nursing Home, where he died last weekend.

Grandson John Young III, who is assistant manager at Tucker?s Point Residential Club, said: ?He was influential in all our lives. He did a lot for Bermuda and he did a lot for his children and his grandchildren. If it had not been for him I would not be where I am today. As a youngster he included me in fun things.?

Mr. Young?s daughter Penne Leseur said: ?We and his friends are glad that he had a wonderfully long life. He did so much. He went to work when he was 14 and accomplished so much.?

He celebrated his 90th birthday in January and is the ninth generation of the Young family in Somerset, the family name on the Island dating back to the 1600s.

Many will remember his long working relationship with Front Street wholesale merchant Arthur Gorham and subsequently setting up his own business at Collector?s Hill where the Apothecary now stands.

His father was a coppersmith and farmer at Scaur Hill. As a youngster Mr. Young fed livestock and helped make wooden boxes to transport produce to Hamilton to be sold.

A crippling accident that befell his father meant the 14-year-old Mr. Young had to give up his studies at Saltus Grammar School to begin work.

Also an avid sportsman, as a 20-year-old he competed in the Berlin Olympics in the 100 metres freestyle swimming race with Bermuda?s first Olympic team.

Much of his training entailed jumping off Somerset Bridge and swimming to Hamilton to train at the Princess Hotel before swimming home.

He was a skilled international croquet player and was instrumental in setting up the Croquet Club of Bermuda at Lantana and was induced into the USA Croquet Hall of Fame and was still hitting a ball at the age of 89.

From an early age he had an interest in art and this grew into a passion for collecting modern paintings and sculpture.

In June last year Mr. and Mrs. Young made a cultural gift of their art collection to the Bermuda National Gallery. The work is scheduled to go on display this autumn.

Bermuda National Gallery chairman and former editor David White who said: ?The gift and endowment he and Nelga made is the largest single donation to the arts in Bermuda. They made the donation under their own initiative and as a gift to Bermuda. John was one the nicest guys in the world.

?He was an Olympic swimmer and became one of the world?s champion croquet players and he was wildly successful in business building the Lantana into a major resort.

?He was still playing croquet quite recently. He and Nelga were written up in Time Magazine as the ?remarkable couple of croquet?.?

A funeral service for Mr. Young is being held at St. James Church this Friday at 11 a.m.