Friends and family of World Trade Center victim Boyd Gatton said an emotional farewell on Saturday at a memorial service to celebrate his life.

Four months after he died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, mourners packed into St. Peter's Church in St. George's for the hour-long service of prayer, song and personal tributes.

Without a body to grieve over, a life-size photograph of 38-year-old Boyd, who was known as ‘Professor', sat beneath the altar of the church. Alongside was a toy version of Boyd's favourite Loony Tunes character Marvin the Martian, an American flag, given to the family by a US taxi driver, and an urn presented to the family at the official World Trade Center memorial service in New York.

Officiated by Reverend Anthony Hollis, the send-off was informal, personal and warm.

After the church service, the 250 or so mourners, accompanied by Place's Gombey Group, danced their way down to the water at Ordnance Island where they sang one of Boyd's favourite songs, Fly Away Home by Bob Marley.

Town Crier Michael Jones tolled the bells as the congregation snaked its way through the market square, before lowering the flag.

And as mourners huddled at the water's edge, Boyd's devastated mother, Betty, threw a wreath into the water in memory of her marine-loving son, while others tossed single carnations into the rippling tide.

It was a ceremony of both sadness and joy, but it is how Boyd would have wanted it.

During the service, his cousins Linda and Dendrick Taylor read scriptures from the Bible, another cousin, Connie Francis, sang solo, and others stood up to tell of the friendships they had shared with their beloved pal.

Many tears were shed, but many smiles were seen, too.

Among the congregation were 21 members of the Cincinnati Masonic Lodge in New Jersey, where Boyd was a member, who had travelled to the Island for the service.

Boyd had moved to the US about ten years ago and was living in Jersey City when he died.

He was working at Fiduciary Trust on the 97th floor of the second of the twin towers to be hit by suicide plane hijackers in September - leaving no hope that he had survived or that his body would be found.

He was one of two Bermudians to die in the attack. Rhondelle Tankard, 31, had been seconded to the New York office by her firm Aon (Bermuda) and had only been working in the Twin Towers for two days when disaster struck.

A memorial service was held for Rhondelle in December, but on Saturday, her family joined mourners to pay their respects to Boyd.

Boyd's sister Pauline, who spent three months in New Jersey at the end of last year to pack up his apartment, wrote an obituary of her brother for the service.

She said she remembered mothering him until he was old enough to start acting like a father to her, and said in his short life he had formed so many strong friendships due to his interest in people, openness and love of conversation.

She said: “On October 8 1962, a little boy came into our world blessing Harold and Betty Gatton with his life.

“Though three months premature at two-and-a-half pounds, this little human would fight his way into our hearts for the next 39 years, joining his sisters Sharon and Pauline, he would grow and become an awesome, kind, gentle and intelligent person.

“His name, chosen after our granddad Cyril Boyd Little, would prove to be a name which would be remembered historically.”

She told how Boyd had attended East End Primary School, before joining Saltus Grammar.

She added: “He loved the water and loved learning about its inhabitants. Some days, he'd be gone for hours on end and when he came home, Mama would ask him where he'd been, he'd say ‘at the Bio Station'. He met several people there who indulged him because of his curious nature.

“Boyd became a member of the St. George's Sea Cadets and it was funny how Mama didn't have to shout at him to clean those shoes like she did the ones for school.

“As a young teen, Boyd went to work at The Aquarium, later we came to appreciate his love for marine life, but then we thought he had lost his mind because he would come home to say he had got into those tanks with the fish.

She talked of his many hobbies, including computers, Tai Chi, photography, and carpentry, and how, as a young man, he had become a member of the Orthodox Church, taking the name Walde Salama.

And she also remembered her late sister Sharon Smith, who died just weeks after Boyd last year following a long battle with cancer.

Pauline added: “My Baby Brother, I thank you and our sister Sharon for coming with me this far on the journey.

“I know I can go the rest of the way because I am a chest and you both are the treasures that I am filled with.

“Thank you for your presence, your wisdom, and, most of all, for fighting way back in 1962 to walk this far with me.”

Afterwards, mourners celebrated Boyd's life at a wake at the Royal Artillery Association in St. George's, which was complete with another display from the Place's Gombey Group.