A founding member of the Progressive Labour Party, Arnold Francis, passed away yesterday.Mr Francis was the first Bermudian to be awarded the title Queen’s Counsel for his legal work in 1980.He died at the age of 88.Speaking on behalf of the family Minister Walter Roban said he was a legal pioneer.“As Bermuda’s first Queen Counsel, his achievement was a spark of promise for many aspiring to the profession,” he said. “A founding partner of law firm Richards Francis and Francis, the institution broke many boundaries and fostered the careers of many well known Bermuda lawyers.“Mr Francis continued to practise up until recently and also maintained a keen interest is legal affairs as well as local and international politics.“He will be missed by family, community and numerous friends.”Mr Francis was educated at the Central School, now known as Victor Scott, before attending Berkeley Institute.He attended Mico College in Jamaica where he received a teaching qualification before returning to work at the Central School in 1949.In addition to his studies Mr Francis was an avid cricketer and in 1948 he represented St George’s in Cup Match.Mr Francis went on to study law at the University of London where he received his LLB Degree and was called to the English bar in 1952.Upon his return to Bermuda Mr Francis started his legal practice and got involved in political life.He was voted in as a Member of Colonial Parliament in 1958.The PLP’s Founders Day Commemorative Journal states: “A greater historic milestone was in store for Mr Francis five years later. In 1963 he along with five other political colleagues, made another giant step in Bermuda politics by entering the House of Assembly under the banner of the PLP.“They immediately chose Arnold Francis its first Parliamentary Leader.”The PLP states Mr Francis faced challenges from the “established political order” but also “militant elements” of his own party.It added: “But it cannot be refuted that his leadership of the fledgling organisation in those early years, in fact established a resilience that allowed it to weather the many storms it encountered on its political journey.”Mr Francis time with the PLP ended in the mid-1960s. He went on to focus on his legal career and set up his own practice before joining others in the 1980s to make the Richards, Francis and Francis firm. He was the president of the Bermuda Bar Association from 1976 to 1979.In addition to his QC title Mr Francis received the OBE in the 1977 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.He is survived by his wife Ann Francis and children Jennifer Ming, Nadine Francis, Kelly Francis, Arnold O. Francis and Libby Francis.