A life lived to its fullest was remembered through tears and laughter as loved ones gathered to honour a talented chef killed in a tragic road accident.

David Thorman, 35, died after he was struck by a van in Canterbury Road, Whitstable, as he cycled home from work.

The horrific circumstances of his death, although acknowledged, cast little shadow over the celebration of a man who lived for each day.

And it was that easy-going approach to life which ran through the heart of the eulogies read out by his closest friends and family at the Riverside Church in Whitstable.

Elder brother Daniel led the tributes, recalling with a smile the baiting he gave his younger sibling in his teenage years and how close they had become.

Sharing a list of Dave’s best qualities, he spoke of his brother’s kindness, work ethic and trusting nature.

“He put people at ease and he made friends effortlessly,” he said.

“None of us are perfect, but he was great. The outpouring of sorrow and the number of people here today is testament to that.

“Dave, I thought the world of you, and I hope you knew. You were awesome in so many ways. You were irreplaceable and beautiful. I love you broski and I’ll do my utmost to honour your precious memory.”

Dave, who lived in Tankerton Road, worked as head chef at the Crescent Turner Hotel in Wraik Hill, which hosted the wake.

But it was at catering college in Broadstairs that he honed his culinary skills and met close friend Tom Whittaker.

“I was drawn to him because he was such a positive and happy guy,” Tom said.

"He had an incredible skill as a chef and worked in some top restaurants.

"His capability to get to work no matter what the weather, even if he’d been at a party on the beach all night long, became something of a legend in Whitstable.

“We all loved Dave. He lived an incredibly rich and happy life full of love and joy.”

John Gaze had known Dave for 10 years, describing him as “one of the best examples I’ve ever come across of a free spirit”.

“Most us live our lives bogged down by stress and worry about our futuresbut Dave seemed uninterested in all that,” he said.

“I’d like to assure everyone that this was a man who knew how to enjoy himself.

“The nature of his free spirit meant he packed more fun, laughter and enjoyment into his 35 years than most will achieve in two lifetimes.

“I take comfort in the fact that although Dave’s life was curtailed, he had a bloody good time while he was here.”

A tribute from Dave’s mum Jill was read out by his aunt, Judith Tattersall-Bostock. She told of her son’s easy-going disposition and legendary smile, recalling summer holidays spent with family in Wales.

“The shock, grief and pain cannot be described. It can only really be understood by those who have been bereaved in the same kind of way..." - Terry Thorman

She also told how, at the age of 13, he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour which was later discovered to not be as serious as first feared.

“I remember David holding my hand and saying ‘don’t worry mum, I’ll be OK’,” she recalled.

“Now, when it’s quiet, I can hear him saying to my heart the same thing. ‘Don’t worry mum, I’m OK’.”

Dave’s father, Terry Thorman, told of the heartbreaking moment they were told of their son’s death.

“At 5.30am on March 11 our world changed forever,” he said.

“We heard the news no parent should ever hear. David had lost his life the night before in a tragic accident.

“The shock, grief and pain cannot be described. It can only really be understood by those who have been bereaved in the same kind of way.”

But he was emphatic in adding how the family has found great solace in the outpouring of support offered to them since Dave’s death.

“My wife and I have been absolutely blown away by the kindness and the support and the love that we’ve been shown by friends, by family, by the church,” he said.

"Dave was one of those people you just immediately felt comfortable in his presence. He was gregarious.

"He was kindness personified. An all-round great young man.

“Family gatherings will never be the same. David was our go-to catering saviour. Christmas dinner was a breeze when David was around.”

Terry, a preacher, also told how the family’s faith has helped them enormously since the tragedy.

He said: “The only thing that’s more important than life is eternal life and our eternal hope is that we will see David again, we will fellowship with him again, we will share with him again and we will talk with him again.

"David, we miss you, we love you and we will see you again."

Terry also paid tribute to the amazing work of special needs charity Snaap in the aftermath of the tragedy.

His younger brother Jacob, 13, has Down’s syndrome and is a regular user of the Herne Bay service.

Terry told how Jacob was due to spend the afternoon with the charity on the day after Dave’s death.

He said: “One of the leaders of Snaap, Amy Gullett, rang us at about 10am – she’d never done this before – and asked ‘is everything OK, I just felt I should ring?’.

“Jill said ‘no, everything isn’t OK’, and Amy said she’d be there in 10 minutes. She took Jacob for the entire day. The next day, even though it wasn’t scheduled, she took him again as we were grieving and just in shock.

“All the next week they picked Jacob up from school at 3pm and kept him for at least another two hours to give us more time.

“One of their workers, a lad of about 20 at Southampton University, gave up his weekends to look after Jacob.

“They are the most amazing charity. They are the most amazing people.”

A collection at the service raised £250 for Snaap.

For more on the charity visit the website.