For nearly three decades, the welcoming smile of Leroy Eve was a familiar sight on buses across the Island.

He loved his job and his passengers always looked forward to seeing their “favourite bus driver”.

But Mr Eve’s life revolved around his beloved wife, Edith, and the couple’s four children: Barry, Shirley, Anita and Rene.

Mr Eve, who was also fondly known as “Papa Eve”, died last Monday at the age of 82. His daughter, Shirley Eve Burgess, led the tributes to her father.

“He was a very quiet and understanding, meek gentleman,” she said. “He always put his family first and loved his wife to death. Whatever the plan was he would just go with it. My father never looked for praises, he never was one to boast, he just went on quietly working for those he loved the most.”

Mr Eve grew up in the Woodlands Road area of Pembroke, one of five siblings to Helena and Alvin Eve.

He attended Central School before beginning an apprenticeship at Woodlands Garage at the age of 13 under the wing of owner Jerry Hill.

Ms Eve Burgess added: “As a young boy, Leroy’s pockets were always filled with bits of string and nails.

“He occupied his time making little figurines that also found homes in his pockets. He had an innate interest in bikes and cars.”

In October 1955 Mr Eve married his wife, Edith Margaret Evans, at St John’s Church in Pembroke.

The family initially lived on Laffan Street, Pembroke, before moving to Dock Hill in Devonshire, where Mr Eve became known as the area’s “gatekeeper”.

In 1970 he joined his wife working for the Public Transportation Board; Mrs Eve had already become the first female bus driver in Bermuda. The Eves are believed to be the first married couple to be employed with the Department of Transport and Control and Mr Eve retired as a bus driver in 1998 after 28 years in the job.

Ms Eve Burgess said: “Leroy absolutely loved transporting Bermudians and tourists alike in our pink buses, meeting people and sometimes requesting from some of his regular passengers a sample of their baked goods, such as ginger bread, cookies and cakes.

“Leroy was an avid fan of desserts, just like his father before.”