His father, Ian Reaney, said his son was a larrikin, a ``true man's boy''.

``He was always out for a good time; he wanted to live life to the fullest. He just wanted to enjoy life,'' Mr Reaney said.

It was a life tragically cut short in an accident last week when the 20-year-old builder's labourer was critically injured in a fall at a Devonport work site.

Mr Reaney, a senior constable for Tasmania Police and his wife Tracey, a nurse at the Launceston General Hospital, got the phone call every parent dreads on Monday.

``I got a missed call from Leigh's phone, which obviously wasn't Leigh, and I rang it back and he never answered.

``Then my wife rang me and said, `we've just had a phone call from Leigh's boss, Leigh's taken a fall at work'.

``So I raced home and rang the Mersey and said, `you have my son there I understand, I have no idea what's happened' and they just said, `get in the car and get through here'.''

Mr Reaney, a policeman with 33 years' experience, said being on the other side of the phone call was devastating.

``I don't think anything could ever prepare you for this,'' he said. 

``I've been in people's homes and told them that they've lost loved ones. I have dealt with and seen more than most people probably ever imagined but it's nothing like it when it's your own son.

``You can't put into words what this is. The shock and the devastation of seeing him for the first time with so many tubes, drips and bits and pieces coming out of him. And the not knowing.''

Leigh was flown to the intensive care unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

``The gravity of what we were dealing with was laid out for us once we got to Hobart,'' Mr Reaney said.

``Basically we were told that the injuries he had sustained were of such a nature that they did not believe there was any way that he could get through it.''

The family agreed to donate Leigh's organs as it was in his generous nature to help people.

``If there is any way that any sort of good can come from such a horrible, horrible disaster, we should explore it if possible,'' Mr Reaney said.

``We brought into the discussion my daughter and Leigh's girlfriend Briony because that's a long-term relationship and we felt she had a right to have an input into that conversation.''

Mr Reaney said the accident had been particularly hard on Leigh's sister Gemma, 17.

``He was the big brother and they were very close, she idolises him,'' he said.

``As a young girl she was kicking the soccer ball to him, he'd have her out there at the other end bowling a cricket ball to him and occasionally she might get a bat.

``Little things like his sister turns 18 in October, I turn 50 in September, his mother turns 50 on Boxing Day and Leigh's 21st was April next year; these milestones were coming up and now they just have no meaning at all.''

Leigh's death also sparked an outpouring of emotion from friends and the soccer community, which Leigh had been a part of since under 6s.

``Obviously I knew he was a popular young man but I don't think even I realised the extent and the magnitude of what has now come to light.''

One of Leigh's friends, who had moved to Western Australia for work, heard about the accident and got straight on a plane.

``He flew to Launceston, grabbed his mother's car and arrived in Hobart in the early hours of Wednesday morning just to be with Leigh and as he said, he had to do it to believe it.

``He was a young boy who had grown up with Leigh, they had been friends since Summerdale Primary School, friends for life, and what a short life it has now been.''

Another high school friend, James Cowan, heard the news and decided to paint a mural at Launceston's skate park.

``I knew I had to do it because he was a close mate and this felt like the only way I could say goodbye,'' James said. 

``Leigh was just mates with everybody. He was a great guy and words just can't describe his personality.

``When we heard the news we couldn't believe it, especially at the age of 20, it's a big loss to us all.''

Tributes have also come from Leigh's soccer club Prospect Knights, which wore black armbands and held a minute's silence at each match at the weekend.

Club president Anton Balym said Leigh had played in every team at the club, which was looking forward to him being a big part of its future.

``It's been a sombre week around the club but I don't think that it has fully sunk in, particularly for the younger kids who knew him well,'' Balym said.

``For the club now it's about showing Leigh the respect that he deserves as a player and a friend of Prospect Knights.''

At the request of the family, the club has been asked to form an honour guard at today's funeral, which will be held at 2pm at the Punchbowl Christian Centre. 

The family has asked for contributions to Donate Life or the RSPCA instead of flowers.

Mr Reaney wants people to remember Leigh as a young man with a strong work ethic, passion for life and generous spirit.

``The other day he went over to our neighbour's house and mowed her lawns - she didn't expect it, she didn't ask for it,'' he said.

``She wanted a new roof put on a pergola and the next thing I know here's Leigh rocking up with the work ute to put it up. 

``He asked for nothing; he did it because he tried to give where he could.''