Leonard Frederick Wade (28 June 1939 – 13 August 1996) was a prominent Bermudian politician. He served as leader of the opposition Progressive Labour Party (PLP) for 11 years, from 1976 to 1987.Biography: L. Frederick Wade
" ''Bermuda Biographies''. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

Early life

"Freddie" Wade was the second son of Sgt. Major James Eugene and Helen (née Yorke) Wade. The family was based in

Pembroke Parish Pembroke Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named after English aristocrat William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1580–1630). It occupies most of the short peninsula which juts from the central north coast of Bermuda's main ...

, but later moved to

Warwick Parish Warwick Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named after Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587-1658). It is located in the central south of the island chain, occupying part of the main island to the southeast of the Great So ...

. Wade attended Central School (now Victor Scott School) before entering Canada's Ottawa Teachers' College in 1959. Wade completed his studies in June 1960, and joined the teaching staff at Central School, where he taught until 1963. From 1960 to 1963, Wade attended Queen's University in Ontario, receiving a B.A. in economics.Roban, W.
Remembering L.F. Wade, 20 years departed
, ''

The Royal Gazette (Bermuda) ''The Royal Gazette'' is a Bermudian, English-language daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white o ...

,'' 22 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2024. He returned to Bermuda, teaching at Prospect Primary School and Sandys Secondary School.

Political career

Despite having grown up in Bermuda, it was only after returning from his time in Canada that he realised how poor conditions were in Bermudian education, especially in regards to the segregation still in force. He joined the Bermuda Union Of Teachers but quickly realised that he was more likely to effect change through wider island politics. The formation of the PLP in 1962, with its call for major reforms, inspired Wade to join the party, where he became secretary of the party's

Devonshire Parish Devonshire Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. Originally named ''Cavendish Tribe'' and later Devonshire Tribe, for William Cavendish, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1552–1626). ''Devonshire Redoubt'', on Castle Island, one of the Castle Ha ...

branch. The 1968 Bermudian general election, though disappointing for the PLP, saw Wade's election as one of two

members Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

for Devonshire North. His election led to Wade losing his job, as at the time it was not permitted for a Bermudian to be both an MP and a teacher. He took a series of part-time jobs to pay his way, but his membership of what was seen as a radical political party did him no favours. He was elected party chairman in 1970. After re-election in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

, Wade applied for law school and was admitted to London's

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

. He passed his finals in 1976, and during the same year became Deputy Leader of the PLP. During his time in parliament, Wade held many

shadow A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. In contrast, shade occupies the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross-section of a shadow is a two-dimensio ...

ministries, including finance, education, and home affairs. In November 1985, long-time Opposition Leader and colleague of Wade

Lois Browne-Evans Dame Lois Marie Browne-Evans Order of the British Empire, DBE Justice of Peace, JP (1 June 1927 – 29 May 2007) was a lawyer and political figure in Bermuda. She led the Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda), Progressive Labour Party (PLP) in oppo ...

resigned as PLP leader. Wade was elected as her replacement. He began increasing the appeal of the party by reducing the more radical elements of the party's policy and reaching out to business leaders especially those in international business, who were traditionally supporters of the PLP's opponents, the

United Bermuda Party The United Bermuda Party (UBP) was a political party in Bermuda, which represented itself as centrist party with a moderate social and fiscal agenda. The party held power in Bermuda's House of Assembly continuously from 1968 to 1998, the 47-year ...

(UBP).

Personal life

In December 1959, Wade married Marilyn Edwards. Their son Gregory was born in 1960, followed by daughter Michelle in 1965. The couple divorced during the 1970s, and Wade married for a second time, to Jamaican lawyer Norma Wilson Morant. In 1977 the Wades made history as the first married couple in Bermuda to both serve as lawyers. Yusef, Wade-Miller's son from a previous marriage, was adopted by Wade. Again, the marriage did not last. Wade was married for a third time in 1989, to Ianthia Simmons. In 1991 they became parents of triplets: Ceola, Kamela, and Frederick.

Health concerns

The strenuous schedule of trying to run a law practice while serving as a leading politician took their toll on Wade's health. In 1996, he required treatment at

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, for a heart scare. However, his hereditary condition of

polycystic kidney disease Polycystic kidney disease (PKD or PCKD, also known as polycystic kidney syndrome) is a genetic disorder in which the renal tubules become structurally abnormal, resulting in the development and growth of multiple cysts within the kidney. These ...

, which killed his mother at a young age, became his more serious issue health issue. Wade's health declined during the proceeding decade, but he kept up his tiring work schedule.

Death

In 1996, he collapsed while on his way to attend the 42nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, and did not recover. Wade is buried at St. John's Church in

, Bermuda.

Legacy

In April 2007, the PLP Government renamed Bermuda's sole airport L.F. Wade International Airport in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wade, L. Frederick 1939 births 1996 deaths Leaders of the opposition (Bermuda) Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda) politicians