LOVED ones have paid tribute to a man from Somerset as a kind friend, brother and son who lit up every room with his laughter and was a ball of energy.
Friends of 23-year-old plumber Reece Collumbell are keeping his memory alive after his sudden and unexpected death.
About 10 to 12 friends will climb Mount Snowdon on September 12 to raise money in his memory.
Lewis Wayne, 23, from Yeovil, Somerset, said: “Reece was only 23; he had his full life ahead of him, just like me.”
“He was a ball of energy really, so energetic, so genuine; loads of our friends would say the same.”
“He always valued everyone, no matter who you were, and would spend time getting to know you even if you weren’t his friend. He was such a nice person.”
Mr Wayne has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Reece’s mother, Amelia Warne, and show her “some light” in “all this darkness”.
He has raised £5,170 towards his £7,500 target.
Support the campaign here.
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He said: “It won’t bring her son back, but if we can raise as much as possible, that would be amazing. I said to her, in all this darkness, I just want to show her some light.”
“We are trying to raise all this money to ease the financial pressure because the last thing you want to think about when arranging a funeral is money worries.”
“We know he would have done the same for us if one of us passed away.”
He hopes to use any extra money raised towards a memorial bench for Reece.
He added: “We all grew up with him; we all knew what he was like, and it was such a shock hearing the news.”
“Only recently I was messaging him asking how his mum was. It’s just such a horrible situation, really.”
“Reece was a very likeable guy. He had a lot of friends. He was popular. It’s just disheartening, really.”
Reece’s mother, Amelia Warne, said: “It’s an extremely sad time for us all as we struggle with the sudden loss of my beloved son Reece.
"I’m extremely grateful for the kindness and support shown by many of his friends, and I just wish more than anything that Reece had reached out to them for support.”
“Reece lit up the room with his laughter and always made us smile, even on a bad day. He was always there to listen and hug the blues away – such a lovable character, full of bright energy and a cheeky grin.”
“Taken from us far too young, he leaves a hole in our hearts that will remain forever. Deeply loved and missed by all his family and friends.”
Reece's two younger sisters, Ruby and Florence, said: "Our family is going through the hardest thing we have ever faced.
"We are completely heartbroken over the loss of our big brother, and at the very same time, we are trying to stay strong for my mum as she goes through further cancer treatment.
"Dealing with the devastating grief of losing our brother while trying to be strong for our mum is really difficult, but it’s important to us all to honour our brother’s memory.
"We are so grateful for everyone who has reached out with kindness and love."
Reece Collumbell’s cause of death is not yet known. His family are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination.
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