Mourning the loss of Beau Morton

Rest in peace, friend. Photo by Robyn Ellis.

Our city has lost one of its greatest people. Beau Morton died Friday. He was born with a rare and deadly disease that chased him for nearly half a century, and it finally caught him. He was 49.

Beau did so much for our city, probably more than we'll ever know. He cared deeply about justice and fairness, and he believed that we can organize to make it better together. He was a founder and longtime member of the Seattle Transit Riders Union. He served our city on the Pedestrian Advisory Board. He was also my friend, and I can't believe he's gone.

His wife Stevie, a brilliant artist and incredible mom, and their two children, ages 7 months and 4 years, are now faced with the heartbreaking task of figuring out how to go on without this wonderful man. You can support them through this GoFundMe campaign.

I will never meet another person like Beau. He modeled a way of living, a way of being a friend, and way of being a dad that I admire so much. He was incredibly patient. He was both gentle and strong. He listened closely to everything you said, and he always had something valuable to add. They say that when a person dies, they live on in the people who knew them. This is a comforting thought for me at the moment. I hope I can learn to be a patient listener like him so that my kid always feels valued when we talk together.

Posting on Seattle Bike Blog will be a bit irregular for a bit. I appreciate all of you who support this site. Beau was one of the people who pay a few bucks every month to support this work. Always doing his part. I am so grateful to have work schedule flexibility in times like these so I can help as needed. Write your will if you haven't yet, and hug the people you love.