Sister’s tribute after ‘gentle’ brother, 23, dies

Feb 4 2010 by David Powell, North Wales Weekly News

TRIBUTES have been paid to a tragic 23-year-old man who died suddenly at his home.

Former Ysgol Bryn Elian student Mark Humphreys suffered a suspected seizure and passed away in West Yorkshire on January 15.

Last Wednesday his grieving sister Gayle Humphreys, 29, said: “Mark was a great, young man.”

Friends have set up a Facebook page and hope to write a video game in memory of the popular computer games fan.

Wrexham-born Mark had attended Acton Junior school in Wrexham then moved with his family to Colwyn Bay and Abergele.

He took his A-levels at Ysgol Bryn Elian, Old Colwyn, then took a BA in computer games design at the University of Huddersfield.

He was working in a Huddersfield bar at the time of his death in bed in his shared house in Birkby, Huddersfield.

Bereaved sister Gayle said: “He was a great, young man. He was really kind and funny. He would make you laugh.

“He was gentle and never raised his voice. People on Facebook have said things like ‘I will never forget what you did for me’ but because he was so modest he didn’t talk about it. He wanted to go into bar management.”

She added: “We asked him to get his nocturnal seizures sorted. We thought they were a bit more serious than he was letting on, but we never thought they would take his life.”

Mark loved heavy rock bands Metallica, Slipknot and German rockers Rammstein.

Mark had been seeing his partner Becky Metcalfe for three years.

Gayle said: “Becky is devastated. They were the love of each other’s lives.”

On Facebook group We Remember Mark Humphreys, one friend wrote: “Mark was genuine, devoted to his girlfriend, his family and his friends.

“He was always caring, always there for a friend in need. He was an avid gamer, a fantastic barman.”

The pal added: “He mentioned regularly over the last four years that they had been the most exciting and happiest of his life.

“Mark became a wiser, stronger, better person both academically and socially. The experience changed him for the better.

“I and many others were proud to call Mark our friend. It’s a tragedy like I’ve never experienced before. No one can ever fill the void left in his absence.”

The site also tells how friends Rich Cross and Sophie Holden hope to make a computer game in Mark’s memory.

He writes: “What better way of paying our own personal homage than to make a video game in his honour? I and Sophie have been knocking some ideas around but it’d be great to get other friends/ graduates on board.”

Mark leaves his parents Dorne and David, and brothers and sisters Gayle, Craig, Zoe, Vicki and Daniel, and aunt Gaynor. He was special friends with his dad’s second wife Debbie, and Gayle’s fiancé Emyr.