Family and friends paid tribute last night to road sweeper Gladwin Matthie, who became Bermuda's ninth road accident victim this year.

The 41-year-old grandfather died Saturday afternoon while on his way to watch a football match. He lost control of his motorcycle on North Shore Road in Devonshire.

He was driving east, between Loyal Hill and Loyal Hill Pass, at about 1.30 p.m. when he came off his bike, leaving him with fatal injuries. It is not believed anyone else was involved in the crash.

Yesterday his wife Pansy, friends and colleagues said they were still in shock from his sudden death, but said he would be remembered for his love of soccer and children, and his dedication to work.

Mrs. Matthie, who was married to Gladwin for more than ten years, said she last saw her husband at about 1 p.m. on Saturday when he left their home in Court Street, Pembroke, to head off to a Commercial League game at Shelley Bay.

His wife, who is a nurse at Packwood nursing home, said: “I still cannot believe what has happened.

“I have not slept at all since they told me. He went out of the door at about 1 p.m. - that was the last time I saw him. He was going to watch his friends play football, as he did every weekend. He loved football.

“He was a good, hard working husband, who loved his job very much. Sometimes we had our ups and downs, like everybody does, but he was a good husband.

“He made jokes all the time, and was a terribly clean and neat person. He didn't like to see mess anywhere, or even a dirty dish in the sink. He had to clean it up straight away.”

Mrs. Matthie said her husband was close to his step son and step daughter, from her previous relationship, and adored her daughter's two children.

She said since his death on Saturday, his eldest granddaughter Allana Bean, who lived upstairs to them, had been frequently crying and asking when her grandfather was coming home.

“He loved them so much”, she added.

Mr. Matthie, who had worked for the Corporation of Hamilton for about 13 years, worked predominantly as a road sweeper, but in his role within the sanitation department, also worked as a garbage collector.

From being two days old, he was brought up at the Brangman home by the three Brangman sisters, Olga, Mona and Mary, and remained with them even after the home changed locations and management, staying at the original orphanage until he married when he was 31.

He still regularly visited the sisters at the same old home where he grew up, in Orchard Grove, Pembroke.

And only last weekend, called by to see his “foster mothers” and telephoned them on Saturday, just hours before he died, to say “hello”.

Yesterday, his long-time friend and foster brother Steven Darrell, who lived at the Brangman home with Mr. Matthie for many years, said the sad news was slowly beginning to sink in.

He said he had always referred to Gladwin as “Bert”, his nickname, which he acquired due to his love of the children's television programme Sesame Street.

He said: “Gladwin came to Brangman just a day or two after he was born. I was already here, being two years older. This was his family and his home.

“Everyone who was at Brangman was very close. We were all brothers and sisters, and that is very much how we felt about Gladwin - he was my foster brother.

“I will remember him for being very particular. Everything had to be just so.”

“We are still baffled by his passing. He was a healthy person - it has come as a big shock.”

Secretary of the Corporation of Hamilton Roger Sherratt paid his respects to the Matthie family.

He said: “Gladwin Matthie was one of our very reliable and steady road sweepers. He had been working in the city for a number of years now, and obviously we are all very shocked and saddened by what has happened.”

Mr. Matthie was taken to Kind Edward VII Memorial Hospital on Saturday afternoon, where he was pronounced dead at about 2.20 p.m. Funeral arrangements are to follow.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or people with information to call P.c. Fiona Miller at the traffic department on 299-4245.