Donations pour in for funeral of 'bubbly and loveable' 'man found dead in park aged 25
Tributes have been paid to a Wigan man who would “light the room up” after his death at the age of 25.
Lewis Bamber was discovered at Haigh Woodland Park on July 23, with flowers left there in his memory and thousands of pounds raised to pay for his funeral.
His dad John Bamber thanked Wiganers for paying their respects.
He said: “I want to say a big thank you to everyone in Wigan who has donated and gone out of their way for us. They have been really good.”
Lewis grew up in New Springs with his parents John and Emma and three brothers, attending Canon Sharples Primary School, Standish High and Wigan and Leigh College.
The family moved to Preston in 2021, but he continued to spend a lot of time in Wigan, splitting his time between his friends and the family home.
Mr Bamber said: “He was drawn to Wigan and all his friends were there.”
Lewis did various jobs, including working as a gardener for Wigan Council and in bars on King Street, and was a big Manchester United fan.
"He loved his music. His favourite person of all time was Post Malone and he went to see him,” Mr Bamber said.
"He just loved being with his friends. There’s so much love out there for him.”
He continued: “He drove us daft, like teenagers and men do. He made friends so easily though.
"He would light the room up. He was bubbly and loveable. If you fell out with him, you couldn’t hold it for long because he would turn up and be his loving self.
"He was an uncle and he adored his nephew.”
But Lewis struggled with his mental health and was waiting for a suspected diagnosis of autism and ADHD to be confirmed.
Mr Bamber says he had trouble sleeping, often staying awake all night and sleeping during the day, and struggled with anxiety.
Since his death, more than £3,000 has been donated to an online appeal to help pay for his funeral, with money also being raised through raffles and a 5k run being organised.
Any money left will be used for a bench at Haigh Woodland Park or another memorial where people can pay their respects.
To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/f/lewis-bamber.