“SELFLESS” teenager Ellis Selby-Richings, who died in a pit bike crash in October last year, has been described as “the life and soul of everybody’s party”.
Ellis, 16, died on October 22 last year after a crash at the Turlin Moor Recreation Ground three days earlier.
His mum, Karli Selby, paid tribute to her son, one of seven children, saying he was their “Peter Pan”.
Karli said: “He was a nightmare, the life and soul of everybody’s party, the joker. He was our Peter Pan, the kid that never wanted to grow up.
“I didn’t realise until it happened how many friends he actually had. He knew people from everywhere, there were hundreds of friends I didn’t know about sending me videos and pictures.
“It was lovely but also horrible, they lost a mate. He was just an idiot, he liked to make people laugh and smile.
“The house is so quiet now, if you were having a down day, he would pick up on that. He would go into the lounge dancing, it’s now so quiet.
“There’s a lot more food around, he used to sneak into the kitchen at night and steal everyone’s food.”
The inquest into Ellis’ death, which was held at the Bournemouth Town Hall on Thursday, heard how he had a passion for motorbikes and motocross.
Karli said he had been doing motocross since he was three and he “died doing something he loved”.
“Motocross was his life,” she continued. “He lived and slept motocross and loved all sports.”
To commemorate Ellis’ life, his family have now opened a café in Selco in the Fleets Corner Business Park.
On the menu is the Ellis Special burger containing three burgers, two sausage patties, three lots of cheese, bacon, eggs and hash browns and three onion rings.
Karli added: “It’s a burger he liked to eat, we have done a challenge, if anybody beats his time, they get it free.
“Hopefully I can build it up and it’s something the family can remember him by and hopefully we can make it a chain.
“He needs to be remembered. His little sister was only 18 months, the older ones have all got memories with him.
“We all rally around each other. I tried getting into my kids’ heads to get on with the positives.
“He would never have enjoyed being an adult, paying bills, responsibilities, I try to think he is in a better place.
“We have so many memories. Taking his sister to jump off the pier, his motocross – one year he won everything- the holidays we went on.”
Ellis donated his organs after his death, prolonging the lives of others. Senior coroner for Dorset said she was sure many would “always be grateful”.
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