Bermuda's first National Heroes' Day on Monday is in honour of Dame Lois Browne-Evans. Here, 18 months after her death, colleagues recall the loss of a national treasure.

If there is one thing which unites the political parties it's an enduring respect for former Progressive Labour Party leader Dame Lois Browne-Evans.

Her roll call of achievement includes becoming Bermuda's first female lawyer, the first black woman elected to Parliament, the first female Attorney General and the first female leader of the Opposition as well as the first female Opposition leader in the Commonwealth.

But beyond the stellar CV the Dame's many friends readily recall her personal touch – the one-to-one conversations which they miss most after her death last year at the age of 79.

Premier Ewart Brown said: "I miss her quick wit and sarcasm during Cabinet or Caucus meetings.

"I think her most important contribution was her persistence against the odds. It was contagious and led others, unseen, to join the fight for justice."

Former Premier Alex Scott was also keen to pay tribute to his departed colleague.

He said: "There's a void, a political void with her passing from the scene. She had garnered great respect over the many years within and without the party.

"I think the direction the party has taken would have been different if Dame Lois had been with us.

"She was seen as 'old guard' and that was regarded as criticism, now I think folks are recognising that as a valued plus.

"There was trust with Dame Lois and what she represented. You might disagree with her but you knew she had experienced first hand just about every variation on the Bermudian political theme."

Mr. Scott said the Dame had been influential on the nation's leaders and the direction they took - both under the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and the United Bermuda Party (UBP).

"There is now a void.

"She was in politics more often than she was at home but she was very much a family person, obviously missed by her family."

And the outpouring of support at her funeral indicated many in the community saw her as a member of their family, even if there were no blood ties.

"She had become almost a mother to the country, black and white, young and old respected her – beyond her political accomplishments," said Mr. Scott.

"I miss her dearly. I miss her on many levels – as a friend, a political colleague and someone who I looked up to and respected very, very deeply."

Lawyer and former PLP MP Julian Hall was another huge admirer and also saw her as representing the best values in the labour movement.

He said: "What I miss most about Dame Lois is her sense of history and her insistence on constantly reminding us of where we come from, how we got here, and what principles we are supposed to represent.

"I keep fearing that the labour movement has lost the plot. Basic core principles and values have been routinely shelved in favour of the pursuit of electoral and material success.

"And the working man and woman, the foundation of the labour movement is getting lost in the shuffle again and again. Dame Lois was in many ways curator, to the end, of the PLP's ideological compass.

"As tedious as some of her 'walks down memory lane' appeared to feel, I miss her counsel and her admonitions. I really do. May she rest perpetually in peace."

UBP MP John Barritt managed to forge a personal relationship with Dame Lois in the mid 1970s when he was a reporter, despite her initial suspicion.

"I managed to build a relationship of trust which I believe I earned and it continued into politics."

The bond withstood Mr. Barritt later joining the UBP.

"We had a special relationship which transcended politics. That's what I miss – that relationship, having a history with someone which goes beyond just doing the political battle UBP v PLP.

"We had some genuine conversations about what was going on in our country and what was needed to solve it."

For a woman with a string of achievements to her name, Mr. Barritt believed her ability to keep flying the PLP flag when it was down to just a handful of MPs in the mid 1980s, was her finest moment.

"That's where she proved her mettle, she stayed the course and the party came through."

The Dame, first elected in 1963, had a long career in politics after entering the House as the Island's first black female member.

She was re-elected in her Devonshire seat at every election until she retired in 2003 after seeing through her cherished goal of moving to single seats.

But most of her tenure at the House of Assembly was spent in Opposition. In 1965 a split in her party made her the only PLP MP until 1968 when she assumed leadership of the party, which she held until 1972.

She resumed the leadership in 1976 until resigning in 1985. But she remained a key figure and became Bermuda's first Attorney General in 1998 when the PLP was swept to power.

Despite her dedication to politics, Dame Lois was someone who remained grounded in family life, said Mr. Barritt.

"Overlooked is that she maintained her family and raised three children, that it isn't easy, particularly at a time when she was a woman leader of a political party, the first women leader of an opposition in the Commonwealth."

She was also a key figure in the Island's legal fraternity and famously campaigned to spare the life of Larry Tacklyn, who was convicted of the shopping centre murders, and Buck Burrows, who was convicted of assassinating Governor Sir Richard Sharples.

Both were to hang as Bermuda descended into rioting. In turmoil and in happier times Dame Lois was a giant in Bermuda's political and legal scene.

UBP leader Kim Swan said: "We are pleased to join with the Government in recognising the life and contribution of Dame Lois Browne Evans.

"Dame Lois was on the frontline of change throughout her life. She was a politician and lawyer who fought for the disadvantaged and always for a more equitable society. She was first in many things: first female lawyer, first Leader of the Opposition and first female Attorney General.

"The Dame, as she has come to be called, was one of the remarkable personalities of her time – a force for good. We salute her contribution to a better Bermuda."