Ben Church, 28, from Barking, was killed in a fatal motorcycle accident on August 5. His best friend, Chris Wilson, 35, is now raising £3,500 to give him a loving and dignified send-off.
Police were called to a single-vehicle collision in Aspen Way, near the junction of Preston's Road, at 3.25am. Enquiries are ongoing, and officers are appealing for witnesses.
Friendship forged on a construction site
Chris met Ben over six years ago on a construction site in the Gascoigne Estate. They bonded through work and became inseparable, spending nearly every Christmas together. Ben was also one of the first people to help Chris and his partner when their baby boy was born.
Chris said: "I met Ben through work, he was there two weeks before I started at a construction site on the Gasgoine estate. When I first met him, he was living on his own. Then one day I was talking to the Mrs about him, and she said, 'Why don't you invite him over for dinner?'
"He came round then, eventually he was knocking at my door, he came in. Then it got to the point where he was letting himself in. I've always been a family man, and Ben became a part of that family."
'More like a brother'
Ben became a big part of Chris's family life, spending every Christmas with them for the past five years. Chris described Ben as "more like a brother" and an uncle figure to his kids.
"My kids are distraught over all of this. He became more like a brother to me and more of an uncle-type figure to my kids. His dad is completely heartbroken with all this; he just wants someone to talk to, like he did with Ben. They called each other every day."
Chris also recalled Ben's caring nature: "When my baby boy was born, he was the first one there asking whether we needed anything. He was always caring and such a fun guy to be around. He was brilliant with the kids."
Fundraiser for funeral and motorcycle safety
Ben later developed a passion for motorbikes, learning from scratch and eventually working with a bike mechanic. He could strip a motorbike down and rebuild it without hassle.
Chris has started a fundraiser to cover funeral costs, with any remaining funds going to a motorcycle safety charity. The fundraiser aims to raise over £3,500.
