For the past decades, octogenarian Guzeppi Scicluna would go to the Luqa church everyday to give a lending hand. He would open the doors of his hometown parish, light the candles, ring the bells and collect donations.

His absence was conspicuous yesterday as villagers mourned Mr Scicluna, who died tragically on Thursday after he was mangled by his plough.

It was his daughter-in-law, Antonia, who found Mr Scicluna, 84, dead in his field at around midday, her husband, Anthony, told The Times.

"He used to come for lunch every day but when he failed to show up, she got worried and went looking for him in the fields," he said. But his father was already dead, and his family believes the accident happened a few hours earlier.

Mr Scicluna lived with one of his five children, Andrew, who described his father as very active in the community. But he was also accident prone. "He had an accident almost every six months," his son said.

Mr Scicluna's nephew, Joseph Scicluna, said his uncle was injured when he fell off a ladder some 13 years ago. He was putting up speakers in preparation for a procession when a passing bus pulled the wire and caused him to fall. He was also run over by a bus in front of St Vincent de Paul Residence a few years ago. The elderly man used to work with the government as a foreman within the Works Division and his sons said he coordinated the restoration works at the Knights Hall in the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

His funeral will be held today at St Andrew's Parish Church at 3.30 p.m.