Mum pays tribute to son's passion for adventure (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

£1,000 raised for cancer charities in memory of Josh

1:30pm Wednesday 30th January 2013 in News By Barbara Jordan

A PROUD mum captured her son’s zest for life in a heartwarming tribute at his funeral.

Josh Furber, a 20-year-old engineering student, said he was ‘living his dream’ on a gap year in Australia, weeks before he fell 300ft from a waterfall.

His mum, Jayne, from Beechwood, Runcorn, shared anecdotes about his passion for adventure, as hundreds of his friends and family gathered to celebrate his life.

She said: “Those last few months of his life were incredible. He was just blown away by the landscape and the sunsets.”

Josh shared a beachfront house in Bondi with 23 people from all over the world.

“A culturally eclectic mix of people thrown together but they absolutely gelled and became ‘aussie family’ and he was their ‘bro’ and they loved the bones of him.”

Jayne said he was ‘a bit of an entrepreneur’.

She said: “He was The Heath’s top earner in his day. Probably the first bootlegging tuck-shopper to begin pyramid selling. He wasn’t daft, we’d do the sourcing, Galaxy and Ripples mind, none of ‘yer Kitkats or Lion bars. If he remembered, he might even pay us back.”

She said ‘he made a million friends within days at Leeds University’ and loved city life.

He’d already done New York at 16, so it was no surpise when he flew to Australia.

Seeing him off at Heathrow, Jayne said:”We would never have realised just how priceless that big fat bear hug and kiss were to be.”

Beyonce’s ‘I Was Here’ filled St Michael’s Church as friends and relatives lit 20 candles marking various parts of his life.

More than £1,000 was raised for Halton Haven Hospice and CLIC Sargent in his memory.

Jayne said afterwards:“We are thrilled that despite him not being here, he is still able to make a difference to other families also going through difficult times.

To make a donation to Halton Haven Hospice in memory of Josh, visit www.justgiving.com/Jayne-Furber or to CLIC Sargent, visit www.justgiving.com/Danielle-Edwards3