“A devoted father and a fabulous worker.” That is how Patrick Dill will be remembered by all his friends and colleagues at Elbow Beach, where he was a standout employee for nearly five years.

Staff at the hotel have been left “shocked and devastated” after Mr Dill was shot dead last Saturday outside his Pembroke home.

Detectives later confirmed that Mr Dill — who would have turned 27 today — had no connections with Bermuda’s gang structure.

Yesterday, his boss at Elbow Beach, Ed Burns, led tributes to the popular and highly regarded employee who worked on the front desk.

“He was a fabulous guy, perfect for the hospitality business,” said Mr Burns, the hotel’s managing director.

“He was always in high spirits at work, nothing ever had him in a bad mood. He was always hard-working, there was nothing he would not do.

“He put his heart and soul into his job.”

Mr Dill initially attended CedarBridge Academy and went on to graduate from Saltus Grammar School. He then studied information management at the Florida Institute of Technology, but found his calling at the South Shore hotel.

His rise through the ranks at Elbow Beach was highlighted in a 2012 article in The Royal Gazette in which he said: “To me, everything is about teamwork.” He described his job as “part of the heartbeat of the hotel”.

Mr Dill started working at Elbow Beach in April 2011. He often worked on the front desk, but was also specially chosen to pioneer a new programme of guest service, in which he excelled. He left the hotel at the end of 2015 to pursue a career opportunity in IT for an insurance company.

“His two daughters were always a fixture around the hotel when he worked here,” Mr Burns said. “He was absolutely devoted to them and a wonderful dad.

“Even after he left the hotel he would always be dropping by. He was a keen tennis player, so would always be on the courts and he remained in touch with everyone at the hotel.

“He was not only a great worker but a great friend to many of the staff at the hotel and to me personally. He was such a positive guy.”

Mr Dill was shot outside his home on Crossland Lane, Pembroke, at 10.45pm on Saturday as he got into a car to attend a party. Two men have been arrested and were held in police custody in connection with the murder.

Mr Burns told The Royal Gazette that news of Mr Dill’s death had left the hotel “paralysed”.

“The news of his death was devastating to everyone here,” he said. “We had a counsellor come into the hotel and provide support to his friends. It has been a very, very emotional time for all the staff.”

Reacting to his death, one regular Bermuda visitor, Lindy Clamp, contacted this newspaper from London to say: “I knew Patrick very well. I have visited Bermuda many times and I met him at Elbow Beach. We hit it off immediately. He was a delightfully cheeky young man.

“I was devastated when another Bermudian friend contacted me earlier today about his tragic death.

“I just want to convey my sincere and heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and loved ones.

“He called me his ‘Queen’ and I called him my ‘Prince’. It is a tragic loss and, here in London, I feel the world is a little darker tonight having lost such a young man, in such brutal circumstances.

“Patrick was a rare gem.”

• Anyone with any information about Mr Dill’s murder should contact the serious crime unit on 247-1739 or call the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477