Tributes have been paid to a "kind, loyal and committed" Darlington volunteer who engrained himself into the town community, following his death at the age of 43.
Lukasz Samek, who has been described as "a beautiful human being" was part of several groups in his adopted home town after arriving in Darlington in 2005 from Poland.
He had arrived in the town by chance after following his childhood sweetheart, Dominika, over from Niepolomice, near Krakow.
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During his time in Darlington, he acted as the vice chairman of the Town Twinning Association, joined and worked with the Round Table and contributed hundreds of columns to D&S Times sister paper The Northern Echo.
A sports lover; he acted as an ambassador of Middlesbrough Futsal Club and a member of the Arthur Wharton Foundation, while also manning Polish stalls at the Darlington Carnival.
In 2015, Lukasz was named Young Pole of the Year 2015 - which shows the impact he had in both Darlington and his native Poland.
He was also a keen writer - having contributed to articles in Polnews, Pangea Magazine, while he also appeared on BBC Tees' breakfast radio show and BBC's Inside Out.
Following his death on Friday, September 8, from a suspected heart attack, his wife of 16 years and partner of 25 years, Dominika, has paid tribute to her husband - saying that his relationship with his daughter, Gabriela, 5, is something that the family will sorely miss.
She said: "I can't believe that he's gone. He was a great husband and a great father to our daughter Gabriela. He won't ever get to see her grow up and see the sort of person she becomes - that's the worst part.
"Lukasz would do anything for anyone. he was kind, generous and he will be so dearly missed."
Tributes have also poured in from the groups that Lukasz has been part of over the years, with the football team he is part of holding a tribute match in his memory, while chair of the Town Twinning Association Tom Nutt has shared his memories of Lukasz, who he met in 2007.
Describing him as "like a son to me", Mr Nutt has highlighted the impact that Lukasz had on both him and Darlington since meeting him 16 years ago.
Mr Nutt said: "He is one of the nicest lads you could ever meet.
"I first met him at a football tournament in Darlington that featured teams from Poland, France, and Germany, and he struck me as a brilliant person.
"In 2019, we went to Niepołomice in Poland, where we picked up an award for Initiative of the Year as part of the Town Twinning Association. He didn't even hesitate to want to go."
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He added: "He is full of kindness and generosity, and he will be a huge miss for Darlington. He was loved by all. We'll miss him."
Shortly after his death, a mural paying tribute to Lukasz appeared on the wall of The Arthur Wharton Foundation on Widdowfield Street in Darlington, where he was a volunteer.
The Arthur Wharton Foundation has also been lighting candles next to the new mural.
Shaun Campbell, founder of the Foundation, has called Mr Samek a "great guy" and paid tribute to his "infectious spirit".
He said: "Lukasz was a champion of the Darlington and Polish communities. He was a fantastic volunteer for so many groups.
"It's an emotional time for the Foundation and other groups that were lucky to have Lukasz Samek as part of it."
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