The heartbroken wife of a popular family man killed in a motorbike accident has spoken of the devastating loss of the man who always knew how to make her laugh.

Sophia Hewey said her husband Troy was devoted to the couple’s 11-year-old son, Saige, and was an ever-present part of the youngster’s school and sporting pursuits.

Mr Hewey, 50, suffered fatal injuries in a road accident on May 23 on Middle Road, Southampton, as he drove to work. He died two days later.

Mrs Hewey told The Royal Gazette she felt blessed to have enjoyed 13 years with her husband, and urged motorcyclists to take more care on the Island’s roads.

“Troy was such a loving, kind and caring person,” she said. “He was such an uplifting presence in everyone’s life and always smiling. He always worked the extra hours to provide for his family and loved spending time with Saige, who he called his ‘worm’.

“He was very supportive of him and was always on the sidelines when he played football urging him to ‘fire’.

“The night before the crash he was helping decorate his bike for memorial parade at school. Troy had to work the next day and could not make the parade so his last words to me were, ‘make sure you take lots of pictures’.

“All I can do now is honour his memory and remind Saige of all the amazing things he did with his dad.

“He keeps telling me that everything is going to be OK because daddy is watching down on us.”

Mr Hewey was one of six siblings to Sinclair Bowen and Florence Hewey and grew up in the Curving Avenue area of Hamilton, attending Central School and Robert Crawford School.

He and Mrs Hewey met when he worked for Magazine Distributors nearly three decades ago, but remained as friends as the years passed.

He went on to work at the airport for five years before joining Marine and Ports, where he became a much-loved and respected member of the team for 27 years.

The couple, who both have two children from previous relationships, married on November 14, 2002, and Saige was born two years later.

“Troy was proud of all his family and he would always try to be there for whoever needed him,” Mrs Hewey said. “He was a gentle and quiet soul who made time for everyone.”

Mr Hewey started working for Marine and Ports in July 1988 as a Seaman on the ferry service. He rose through the ranks and got his pilot’s license in August 2002.

The avid Nascar racing fan was then promoted to Boson Mate in April 2004 on the tugboat Faithful, where he was well known for his cooking and comical catchphrases.

The tug’s captain, Melvin Martin, said: “Troy was a good worker.

“He always had a broom in his hand and made sure the work environment was just right.

“I’ll always remember him telling me, ‘take it easy, skip’, while we were on the job. That was one of his stock phrases.

“His macaroni and cheese and codfish and potatoes were royal, the guys loved it. He’s a big loss to the department and also the Faithful, and it will be really tough when the tug returns at the end of the month to go back to work without him.”

Colleague and friend Kareem Hollis, who worked with Mr Hewey for 15 years, added: “He was a cool guy to work with. He was always friendly and would speak to everyone who crossed his path. He was like a big brother to me and his death has been a real shock to all his friends in the department.

“He was a real character and you could always hear him coming. He was part of the lunch break crew and the after work crew. He was a big part of our lives.”

For 20 years, Mr Hewey and his friends have travelled to Daytona every July 4 weekend to watch Nascar racing. Friend and colleague Andre Burgess and Mr Hewey were mainstays of the trip.

He said: “Troy was a diehard Nascar fan. He loved it and the trip was a highlight of the year for us all.

“We had some great times watching the racing and it will be hard going back this summer without him. It’s going to be a hard weekend as Friday is my wedding anniversary and Troy was my best man. Then on Saturday we will be laying him to rest.”

Mr Hewey’s funeral service will be held at the Heritage Worship Centre in Hamilton on Saturday before he is buried at sea.