Between 75 and 100 people crowded around the makeshift memorial for Ballard resident Kevin Black on 24th Avenue Northwest on the evening of Feb. 5.

The onlookers, alternately crying and laughing with their memories, were gathered there to say farewell to Black, 39, who was killed Feb. 4 when his bicycle collided with a van.

Black, a father of two girls, worked at the University of Washington as a molecular neurobiologist.

The crowd was a mix of PTA members, scientists, cyclists, neighbors and even bar patrons who had wandered onto the street, said Dave Rider, who runs the cycling team of which Black was a member.

"It's an amazing thing," he said. "I think it's a testament to Kevin."

Black's friend and neighbor Dennis Grove said Black was the type of person who connected with all types of people.

"He had a smile and a charisma that made people want to talk to him," Grove said. "He had a sparkle in his eye."

Grove said Black was an active member of the neighborhood and talked about how lucky he was to live in a community like Ballard where everyone knew each other.

Black would often go door-to-door to neighbors' houses to see what they were doing and if they wanted to go grab a drink together, he said.

There were no formal speeches at the memorial, but small group of people gathered together to say goodbye to "the number-one dad."
People lit candles and wrote messages to Black and added them to the memorial.

His brother Brian announced to the crowd what he believed Kevin would say at that moment.

"Right now he'd say, 'Let's ride. Last one up the hill buys the beer.'"

As an unofficial close to the evening Brian led many of the cyclists in a memorial ride to Sunset Hill Park.

On Feb. 8, another memorial ride with Black's friends and family went from the site of the accident to Golden Gardens Park.

Black was hit by a Ford van Wednesday morning at approximately 8:56 a.m. near 24th and Northwest 64th Street. It's still unclear how the accident happened and investigators are still piecing it together.

According to reports Black was traveling south on 24th and so was the van. The vehicle moved into the center turn lane to turn left onto 64th and Black attempted to pass the van on the left. The van struck the Black as it turned.

Black was taken from the scene in an ambulance to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died.

A woman who was driving south on 24th witnessed the accident and told police she saw the white van "roll over" Black.

The driver of the van showed no signs of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol and was released pending further investigation according to the Seattle Police Department.

About a year ago that stretch of roadway was reduced from four lanes of traffic to three with a center turn lane with bike lanes on either side of the road, referred to as a "road diet." It was meant to make the street safer for pedestrian and bike travel.

Black is also being remembered on the Web site bikehugger.com, where it is reported Black raced on Wines of Washington.

"A fellow cyclist and racer leaving behind (two) daughters is especially difficult and we're all feeling it and sharing condolences with the family," the Web site reads.