It was a hot summer July afternoon in 1969 when the four of us stopped by the Swizzle Inn for the first time.

There was a jukebox that accepted only shillings, no air conditioning or dining room. Perhaps you would say it was just a local bar. And, I guess in those days it was. But we loved it. Business cards littered the walls and ceiling.

A slender man, wearing a well-pressed, white short-sleeved shirt and tie, holding a bottle of lemon oil, smiled and said "hello''. He had been busily polishing the furniture. We ordered pitchers of rum swizzles, enjoyed his company and chatted amiably. We never did make it to St. George, at least not that day. But we had such a good time, it didn't matter.

When my husband and I returned to Bermuda several years later, the Swizzle Inn was first on our list. We rented mopeds and drove to Bailey's Bay. We were pleasantly surprised to see how it had expanded. Now there was a dining room.

Air conditioning. A jukebox that accepted American currency. Great food. And those wonderful pitchers of rum swizzles.

Paper place mats on each table read, "fly on a swizzle''. And while my favourite lunch was a grilled ham and cheese, my husband couldn't wait to bite into one of those luscious Swizzle burgers, accompanied by some of those still famous home-made onion rings.

But it was more than the food and atmosphere of the Swizzle Inn that kept us coming back to Bermuda each year.

The one constant was John Correia. He was almost always there to greet us and make us feel at home. When he wasn't busy seating customers or working behind the bar, he spent time talking to us. He had a mischievous smile and a quick wit. And because he grew up in Bermuda, he shared his love for Bermuda and its history with us.

Just when we thought we knew every nook and cranny of the Island, John would come up with a secluded beach or path that just didn't show up on the visitor's map.

August has been a sad month for many of us, visitors and locals alike. For we have lost someone very special. We grieve so much with your passing, John, and although we know that your son, Jay, continues your legacy, we will never forget you. You touched many lives; we are all better people for having known you. Thank you for enriching our lives. We will miss you.

John and Charlotte Carlin Holland, Pannsylvania RELIGION REL