Young Aussie dies tragically on boys trip abroad: ‘All he wanted was to live his life to the fullest’
A 25-year-old Sydney man, Gabriel Gregory, tragically lost his life in Malaysia while on holiday with his best friend after being hit by a car on Sunday.
He is remembered by heartbroken family and friends for his “deep joie de vivre” and “biggest heart.”
His friend Teahne Lyons said Gabe brought joy to everyone he met, with all those who knew him “heartbroken” by the tragic news.
Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Gregory, 25, (pictured) was killed after being hit by a car while traveling through Malaysia
“Oh, what joy he brought to all who had the pleasure of meeting him,” Mrs. Lyons wrote.
“Gabe was a beautiful man with the biggest heart, who had a deep zest for life that was contagious. He was always thinking about what he wanted to do next.
“He always made you laugh. His presence was calming and uplifting, and he always saw the good, even in the worst of situations.
She added that the young man was honest, humble, thoughtful and “terribly” generous and went to the “ends of the earth” to help his family and friends.
Ms. Lyons said Gabe knew what he wanted in life: to experience it to the fullest.
“He was ridiculously intelligent and knew what he wanted out of life,” Mrs. Lyons wrote.
“All he wanted was to live his life to the fullest, travel and see the world, experience life and push himself out of his comfort zone.”
His grieving family is now desperately trying to bring Gabe home, but are saddled with funeral costs and the astronomical cost of transporting his body back to Australia.
Ms. Lyons estimated that the total cost of bringing Gabe home and putting him to rest would cost $80,000.
The 25-year-old is remembered for having a ‘deep joie de vivre’ with the ‘biggest heart’
A GofundMe page has been organized to raise money to bring him home and put Gabe (left) to rest. Funeral expenses and transporting the young man’s body back to Australia are estimated to cost as much as $80,000
She explained that Gabe will be buried in Waverly Cemetery, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, as two of their friends who have died in recent years are also buried there.
“We want to place Gabe next to his friends so we can visit them all together, and so he can rest with those closest to him,” Ms Lyons said.
Mrs. Lyons started one GoFundMe page to raise money to give him the “funeral he deserves,” with any remaining money donated to charity.
“His best friends and I organized this to try and support Gabe’s family in this,” Ms. Lyons wrote.
“(We will) donate any remaining funds to Headspace, where almost all of our friends have been, and we think this would be what Gabe would have wanted.”
“If recent times have taught us anything, community is everything, and we need our community to help us bring Gabe home and lay him to rest with his closest friends.
“We are so grateful for any support you can give during this time, big or small, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The fund aims to raise $80,000 and has received more than 100 donations totaling $10,455 at the time of writing.