Family and friends gathered in memory of a Holywell man with a “heart of gold”.

Stephen Andrew Tovey, known as ‘Ste’, was a much-loved family man who died at his home on Abbots Walk, Holywell, on September 7.

Ste, who would have been 32 on Friday, will be missed by his large circle of friends and his family, who attended an Open Car Cruise (OCC) meet on Sunday to remember a “fearless” motocross adventurer and car-lover.

Ste’s love of motorbikes and cars took up much of his time. His father, Andrew Tovey, who was “very close” to his son, said most of the cars at the event would have been repaired and worked on by Ste.

As part of a loving, close family, Ste was thought of as having two mother figures who loved and supported him, Tracy Walker and Paula Tovey.

Mum Tracy said: “He had a heart of gold and would always help others, no matter what time of day. Nobody had a bad word to say about him.

“He was like a taxi service and he was always happiest when he had his head stuck in an engine or when he was on the back of a bike.

His nana, Jean Butler, said: “You could always hear him from outside before he came in the house. I have so many lovely memories of him, they all blend into one. He was such a handyman – he should have been called Andy, not Ste!”

On Sunday evening at the meet in Flint Retail Park, the family gathered around Ste’s beloved Mercedes Kompresser car, which boasts a ‘huge’ stereo in the boot and
received frequent TLC from Ste, to remember his life.

Paula, Ste’s stepmother, said: “So many people knew him and so many have come here to pay their respects.

”Ste’s mates, Arron, Duncan, and all the others have been amazing arranging this. It means so much to us all.”

His friends helped organise the special OCC memorial, which Ste regularly attended every month to talk about cars and engines.

They also helped start a Just Giving Page, where donations will be transferred into a fund for his two sons, Callum, 11, and Tyler, 10, who used to watch him on the bikes.

Paula added: “He was so protective of the younger kids in our family. And he absolutely loved life on a bike.”

Tracy said: “If he could see us now, we’d be making him laugh seeing all these people who have come here
for him.”

With an “unbelievable turnout,” the sound of engines filled the air at Sunday’s memorial meet, in a one minute ‘rev-off’ for Ste, who had only just secured his first sponsor with bike company TKF racing, according to his father.

He added: “Ste absolutely loved cars. The louder the better for him.”

The petrol-head’s name will forever remain on bumper stickers, arranged by friends Duncan, Arron, Jay and Jake, as a tribute to the “community” man and driver.

Proceeds will be donated towards the Samaritans charity, which assists in suicide prevention.

Nearly £400 has been raised from sticker sales already.

Darren ‘Taff’ Barrett, a regular OCC organiser, said: “This is a bigger than usual turnout. Ste was a good lad.”

An inquest into Ste’s death has been opened and adjourned to a date to be fixed.

Nicola Jones, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, said the takeaway delivery driver died at his home.

Opening the hearing at Ruthin, she said a post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Mark Atkinson found the provisional cause of death to be hanging.