TRIBUTES have been pouring in for an inspirational man who married ‘the love of his life’ three days before dying in her arms after a three-year cancer illness.

Karl ‘Benny’ Benson, a lover of boxing, Manchester United and most of all his family, died surrounded by his new wife and those closest to him at home on Sunday, July 8.

Just three days before his death, friends and family turned out en masse to watch Karl marry his girlfriend of eight years, Lucy Benson, at The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth.

Karl, who was born in Darwen, was diagnosed with germ cell cancer in December 2014.

The 34-year-old documented his journey on Instagram and through a blog, where he inspired thousands of people with his courageous posts.

His sister, Katie Taylor, described her brother as ‘the most loving and caring person’ and spoke about how he had acted as an inspiration for many.

She said: “His outlook on life, even when things were dark, was so strong and positive.

“The wedding last Friday was a dream for Karl, he loved Lucy so much. I think towards the end he was holding on for the wedding. He pushed on because of his love for Lucy.

“He chose the venue and it really was a dream wedding for them both.”

Karl and Lucy were joined by their families, including Karl’s parents Mandy and Mark, siblings Lee, Astin and Katie, and his four nieces and nephews, who meant the world to him.

Ms Taylor said: “He had no children but he was the best uncle to four nieces and nephews.

“His best friend was his dog Toby, who was always by his side when he was poorly, outside his bedroom door at home.”

Karl was also heavily involved with the charity CheckEmLads, a charity which was set up to fill a void in the support network available for men with cancer, most specifically, testicular.

The charity paid tribute to Karl on social media in a post that said: “Words can’t express how much we all loved this special member of our team. We won’t ever forget you.”

Karl was also known to be fond of having visitors in his home, and it meant a lot to him to make sure they were happy and comfy.

Knowing that Karl had a passion for boxing, CheckEmLads arranged for professional boxers Callum Smith and Scott Quigg to visit him at home.

In an extra special act of kindness, Scott even drove the bridesmaids to Karl and Lucy’s wedding, and spent the day celebrating with the pair.

His wife Lucy also dedicated a touching post to him on Facebook, saying: “On Monday 9th July, my hero, my husband fell asleep peacefully in my arms surrounded by our families. Karl had his final wish come true on Friday 6th as we tied the knot and become Mr and Mrs Benson.

“Our dream wedding was so special to us both and allowed Karl to not only to bring back happiness to us all during such a hard few weeks but also see everyone he loved one last time.

“On behalf of Karl I would like to thank everyone for the continuous support you gave him throughout his three years of illness. It means a lot to us both.”