Hundreds of mourners who gathered to remember Jarreth Newman signalled to his parents their "wild child" had just begun to make his mark on the world.
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A few days earlier, police knocked on the door of Mark and Sherilee Newman's home near Braidwood at midnight to deliver news their son, 23, died in a road crash.
Mr Newman, of Gordon, was killed when his motorbike collided with an ACTION bus outside Calvary Hospital in Bruce on April 8.
He was taken to the hospital's emergency department but died a short time later.
Now his family has paid tribute to a son and brother who loved motorbikes and had a knack for electronics.
Mark Newman said words couldn't describe how it felt to have the man they watched grow into "a strong and loving son" so tragically taken away.
"His friends knew him as a wild and fun-loving guy that loved the wind in his face and a wild bike ride, but also as a fierce and committed friend.
"We knew him as a wild child who had grown to become a cherished son, a loving brother and an adored uncle."
He spent hours playing video games with his brother Luke, and enjoyed time with his sister Claire's two young children, Robert and Lila.
Mark Newman said his son had attention deficit disorder and struggled as a student at Theodore Primary and Chisholm High School.
"When we look back now, we think that he was more intelligent than we thought, and no one really picked up on it.
"He was the person that the library would call for when the computers needed fixing."
Mr Newman said when his son was younger there were often phone calls, complaints and knocks at the door about an incident he had been involved in.
"Just like any normal child, he made his share of bad decisions but Sherilee and I could always see the potential in him."
He had begun to reach that potential in recent years and was turning into "a beautiful young man", Mr Newman said.
"The phone calls and knocks at the door didn't stop, and as parents we always looked to support him."
He had started work with MSS Security and long before his death he told his parents it was the first time he had enjoyed getting out of bed to go to work or school.
Mr Newman said his family was "totally overwhelmed" by more than 300 friends and family members who attended a funeral service at Norwood Crematorium on April 15.
"It was a clear statement that he was just starting to make his mark on the world, in the best possible way," Mr Newman said.
"We will all miss him."
ACT Policing has urged Canberrans to drive and ride safely, midway through National Road Safety Week.
It was the fifth road fatality in the ACT this year.
