Malta and Gozo are grieving the loss of Karl Pace who lost his six-week battle in hospital after suffering major burns to 60% of his body in a Gozo boat fire.

Two days after his passing, as he was making his way back to Malta from Gozo, Chris Pace took to Facebook to post a heartfelt and touching eulogy dedicated to his late brother.

“The ferry is all but empty, and there is nothing more to do than think and cry. Think about you, me, us. I struggle to find the words to describe what you mean to me. Life has thrown so much at us, but somehow, we got through it and we got stronger,” he said as he opened up about his brother.

In his emotional eulogy, Chris reflected on his brother’s hard life and the strong bond they formed over a turbulent, but rewarding, 32 years.

“In my adolescence, I thought I had lost you to drugs. Our father was not around at the time and I had nowhere to turn to, so I rebelled. I gently drifted through life with no real direction for a few years, until you slowly got better and as time went by, your presence was back in my life,” he said.

 Chris described Karl as a person who, after suffering from drug addiction, had the “courage and selfishness” to live the life he truly wanted to live.

Many will remember Karl as an adventurous and free-spirited soul who managed to turn his life around for the better and live every day like it was his last.

“You found your own way out in the real world, you made your own rules,” Chris continued.

“We were in awe at the fact that you had managed to choose a path that none of us has the guts to follow. You were never one for routine, for a full-time job, for anything that tied you down.”

Karl was an avid trailer runner, swimmer, free diver and sailor which is how he ended up in Mġarr harbour that one dreadful night when a boat caught fire when he was sleeping.

He was rushed to hospital where he underwent several delicate skin graft surgeries over a six-week period. Unfortunately, his situation worsened and he was eventually let go following medical advice.

He will be remembered by his friends, family and nieces.

“I saw the joy in your eyes when you looked at my daughters and in time I saw the pure love and happiness in their eyes at the sheer mention of Uncle Karl. The fun uncle, the loving uncle who wanted nothing but love, health and happiness for them,” Chris continued.

“They will miss you, but they are better off for having known you just for the first years of their lives…Please take care of her delicate soul from the heavens above.”

Despite their rocky relationship, Chris always looked up to Karl and continues to after his passing.

“The tears would not stop, but somehow I feel that these experiences helped me prepare for this. This is much bigger than us, much more than I can understand, but using your wisdom, I will do my best to accept that this is all a part of some plan. That this will in time, benefit me in some way.”

“As you took your last breaths this week, I caressed you, I leaned into your ear and I told you all that I have been wanting to tell you over the past weeks. I felt peace and I did my best to do what you tried to teach us all to do. I let go,” he said.

“We can only hope that someday, we can live our lives in the way that you lived. I promise to try to do this every single day I have left on this earth until I can be with you again and you will be proud of me. You have been my role model and guiding light for 32 years, thank you.”

“I love you forever.”

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