Man who fell to his death at Port Adelaide steel workshop remembered as an ‘abundance of joy’

Close friends of a man who fell to his death while working on the roof of a steel workshop have remembered him as an “abundance of joy”.

Simon Brownlow has fond memories of catching up with mate Jeffrey Wright at the local pub, where they first met in the early 2000s. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

• Worker dies after falling from steel workshop

A man who fell to his death while working on the roof of a steel workshop in Port Adelaide has been remembered as an “abundance of joy” who could light up any room.

Pennington man Jeffrey Wright, 51, fell off the roof of the Maverick Steel workshop just before 11am on Saturday.

Despite the desperate attempts of paramedics, he died at the scene.

Port Adelaide man Simon Brownlow was a long-time friend of Mr Wright, after first meeting him at the Newmarket Hotel in the early 2000s.

Mr Brownlow moved away from the area, but he came back in 2007 and was reunited with his friend. They were close ever since.

A man could be seen working on the roof of the steel workshop the day after Mr Wright died. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

Until Saturday morning, Mr Wright would often walk past his home and wave, and on Fridays they would catch up at their favourite pub in which they first met.

Now, Mr Brownlow vows to sit in his lost friend’s favourite seat outside the pub every Friday, but they will no longer be able to chat about their beloved Port Adelaide Football Club, nor will he be there to joke around with Mr Brownlow’s partner’s children.

”We have tea at the pub sometimes, and Jeff would go ‘I’m going to steal your food’ and make the boys laugh – that’s the sort of guy he was.”

Mr Brownlow’s partner Amanda Elsner said Mr Wright, endearingly nicknamed “Trouble”, was “generally just a happy, easy-flowing, great person that would light up the room”.

“Our kids adored him – we would walk home from school and see him on the way and yell, ‘hey Trouble!’

“An abundance of joy”: Jeffrey Wright’s friend Amanda Elsner said he could light up any room. Picture: Facebook

“If we ever needed anything, he’d be one to definitely help, he was just an abundance of joy,” Ms Elsner said.

Mr Wright was also remembered for his love of karaoke and his ten-pin bowling skills when he was younger.

Mr Brownlow said he was a former league champion at the Woodville AMF.

SafeWork SA are investigating the incident that led to Mr Wright’s death and will release further information in the coming days.