A well-known Bermuda sportsman was shot and killed during his 35th birthday celebrations in the Dominican Republic.

Ricardo 'Ricky' Tucker was visiting the Caribbean island when he fell victim to gun violence late Saturday night.

His widow, Mandisa Tucker, received the devastating news at 1.30 a.m. Sunday morning when she was told that her husband of eight years and partner of 15 had been murdered.

Speaking to this newspaper yesterday in the family's Dockyard home, the 35-year-old said she will remember her husband's constant smile and vibrant personality.

"He was shot at a party for his birthday. I am not sure if it was that night but he died that morning."

Mr. Tucker played football for Dandy Town, Somerset Eagles. More recently he was goalkeeper for Island Rangers. He also played for Somerset Cricket Club.

His wife said they met as teenagers and rode the bus together often and he would sit and smile at her.

"Then we started talking and we were friends for a while. We have two children together but I've been with him since my oldest was a baby," she added.

The couple's children are Jahmeko, 16, Rickyah, 13, and Ricky Jr., six.

Her husband was well liked by everyone in the community, Mrs. Tucker said.

"He was 'uncle Ricky' to everybody. So many children's lives he's touched that he would probably never understand. There was one little boy who was a goalkeeper because Ricky was a goalkeeper. My daughter played goalkeeper because her dad was one.

"Ricky had a big heart and a big personality. His life was football and water. He had sailed across the ocean several times."

Mrs. Tucker said while she is dealing with the death, her children aren't coping as well.

"The oldest one isn't doing well. He doesn't even want to be in the house right now. My daughter, she believes it but she doesn't believe it she actually has to see her dad. My youngest one cried last night. He just wants his daddy to come home."

Asked if she knew anything of the details surrounding her husband's death, Mrs. Tucker said: "There is no confirmation on why he was shot. I'm in the process of working on that now. We were told by his cousin who lives down there that somebody had to come down there to have the process set in motion. We have to determine if that is necessary."

Mr. Tucker attended West End Primary School and Sandys Secondary School. He worked at Snorkel Park for ten years.

"I'll miss his smile and personality," Mrs. Tucker said. "He always had a smile on his face. When we had my daughter, from two weeks old, he would put her to sleep.

"He would come home from football, smelly, sweating and stinky. He would put her on his chest and she would fall off to sleep.

"For football and the Dockyard community, we have had a few blows with death and Ricky was a person who always looked out for somebody else. He always made sure everybody else was OK first. He had a big heart and sometimes his heart was too big.

"He wasn't perfect but he would give his last to whoever needed it. He was always there to help. You can ask anybody. You can very rarely find a person who had anything negative to say. He was very positive."