Scores of people gathered at the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club yesterday to pay tribute to a respected and popular educator.

Victor Garcia devoted much of his working life to the education system in his role as senior education officer.

The former RHADC commodore died last month at the age of 77.

Friends and former colleagues described Mr Garcia (right) as a true professional who was committed to children.

“I first came across Vic when I entered teaching in 1976 and he was an education officer,” Dale Butler, the former Member of Parliament and teacher, told The Royal Gazette. “I found him to be very proud of his heritage, very knowledgeable and very friendly.

“He was an easy-going kind of a guy, who had high expectations of teachers and students.

“His approach was very much one of encouragement to get the best out of people. I was very sad to hear of his passing and pass my condolences to his family.”

Former Francis Patton School headteacher Dean Furbert added: “Vic was one of our unique educators. While I was head at Francis Patton, he spearheaded special education and I had the privilege of working with him.

“He was a very humble man. He had a huge amount of passion for children with special needs and was a true believer that every child was a winner.”

Mr Garcia grew up on Mission Road in Paget and attended Gilbert Elementary School and Saltus Grammar School.

He initially studied and then worked as a teacher in Canada before returning to Bermuda with his wife, Jackie Lou, and two daughters, Vicki Lynn and Kristi Jane, in 1974.

He then became the Senior Education Officer in Bermuda.

Mr Garcia also went on to work as the Human Resources Manager for Coopers and Lines as well as head up The National Alcohol and Drug Agency.

He was vice-president of the Bank of Butterfield before retiring in 1997.

Yesterday, Members of Parliament also paid tribute to Mr Garcia in the House of Assembly.

Dr Grant Gibbons, the Minister for Education and Economic Development, recalled Mr Garcia as a true advocate for the training of young Bermudians — both through his work in education and in business.

“There are many in the community who benefited by his watchful eye,” Dr Gibbons said. “He was a real gentleman.”

Cole Simons, the Government Whip and Smith’s South MP, said that he could always expect a challenging discussion when he called upon Mr Garcia’s home.

“Bermuda has lost a man of the soil, a Smith’s parish man,” he said.

In his work with education, Mr Garcia had “a passion for special needs children”, Mr Simons said.

Mr Garcia passed away on October 17 at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Yesterday afternoon about 150 friends and family attended a celebration of Mr Garcia’s life at the dinghy club.

“When I arrived in Bermuda over 30 years ago, Victor was the Education Officer and I remember him as a very kind-hearted man who was very welcoming and encouraging to a new teacher,” Maggie McCorkell, the Warwick Academy principal, said.

“When I came here, I was working first at Warwick Academy and then for ten years at St George’s Secondary, and it was from the latter I had most contact with Victor. He had a lot of time for all people, from all walks of life.”