The family of a 21-year-old Kurri Kurri man was never prouder of their beautiful boy before he died in a head-on collision.
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Matt Zambrowski, a talented refrigeration mechanic, had a day earlier returned from Melbourne with a
If his Honda CBR 600 hadn’t slammed into a B-double at Stockrington on Friday he would have been a fully qualified tradie that afternoon – six months ahead of schedule.
Mr Zambrowski had returned from Melbourne on Thursday and before he went to bed at 4pm exhausted, he told his dad Richard: “I’m pleased with the result.”
At 11am the next day Colleen, his mum, said farewell to her youngest son for the last time.
“I shared a [McDonald’s] Happy Meal with him and he got the ‘girly toy’ and went on his way,” she said.
He set off to get his paperwork signed off by H and R Electrical, Cardiff, but collided with the B-Double.
“I just want him to come home,” Mrs Zambrowski said. “The message is to love your parents and tell them every day.”
The former Kurri Kurri High School student spoke to the Mercury two weeks ago, before the Melbourne competition, accompanied by proud girlfriend and “love of his life” Jorden Phillips.
“We met in high school,” she said. “He was a lovely soul.”
Mrs Zambrowski said the fact he was so laid back belied his success.
“He excelled at everything he did at school from preschool through high school,” she said. “He was a quiet achiever and he didn’t like a fuss. It was only just before World Skills that we got it out of him, what he’d been training for.”
His mechanical aptitude was demonstrated as a 16-year-old when, with some help from his father, he restored a motorcycle.
The drums were further evidence of his freakish talent and a passion shared with his older brother Scott.
The family is yet to decide on funeral arrangements but said it would include “a big party like the old times”.
“It will be the party of his life but he won’t be here to celebrate it,” Mrs Zambrowski said.“His father and I would just stare at him, as a boy, he was so beautiful.”
Ms Phillips said many people had extended their condolences.
“He was everyone’s friend, even if they only met him two hours ago. The gold medallist from Melbourne is even coming down from Queensland.”
About 15 of Mr Zambrowski’s colleagues underwent workplace counselling yesterday.
Mr Zambrowski is survived by his mother Colleen, dad Richard, brother Scott and nephews Mason and Preston.
