Former Vice President of the Senate and Parliamentarian Bruce Charles Braynen was laid to rest on Thursday after a state recognised funeral at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church.

Prime Minister Perry Christie brought remarks at the service and said one by one the country is losing its old stalwarts and freedom fighters who have positioned the country to be in the state it is today.

“Every fortnight or two, it seems as if an outstanding warrior of old is called to his eternal home,” he said. “It’s so very sad, isn’t it? Sad because with each of these passings, we are reminded that what I like to refer to as the golden age of Bahamian politics is fast dissolving into our collective memory.

“One day, in the not too distant future, all the Bruce Braynens will be gone; all those brave and fearless men and women who fought on the frontlines of the struggles for Majority Rule and Independence will all be gone, leaving us only with the memory of the good and glorious things they did to help make us free. And make no mistake about it; Bruce Braynen is included in that number of which I speak.”

Led by a procession of defence and police force officers, Mr. Braynen’s body was marched from the House of Assembly down Bay Street to Virginia Street where the funeral was held.

Scores of onlookers, students, tourists and downtown workers lined the streets to watch the procession.

At the service, Prime Minister Christie went on to remember Mr. Braynen as a man who always believed in the country’s youth as well as a businessman with an entrepreneurial spirit.

“He was fearless, resolute, reliable, steadfast, and yes, stalwart in his convictions and in his commitment to the struggle for a fairer and more just society,” Prime Minister Christie said.

“Yes, Bruce was a quiet but influential freedom fighter, firstly, in joining with other kindred spirits of his day in struggling for the economic empowerment of black Bahamians and, secondly, in his political involvement in one of the most defining periods of our modern history.”

Mr. Braynen once served as chairman of the Airport Authority and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) and vice chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

He died at his home on October 1.

He was 99 years old.

He is survived by five sons, three daughters and a host of other family members and friends.