Roadside memorial shines light on Abbotsford 'star shining everywhere'

Flowers have appeared on the side of Gladys Avenue where a man was fatally struck by a commercial vehicle Wednesday morning, alongside a board of messages memorializing the victim.

A man only identified as Jesse, in his 40s, was fatally struck by a commercial vehicle near the homeless camp along Gladys Avenue Wednesday morning. He was described at the time as charismatic, funny and intellectual by a friend at the camp.

Now, a board with several messages, surrounded by a colourful display of flowers, corroborates that account, with an outpouring of positive words for the man.

Dustin Godfrey/Abbotsford News

“Going to be sadness for a long time.. R.I.P. Jesse,” reads one message, with a marker set up next to it for others to pen their support.

“Love you Jesse. Man you will be missed but never forgotten,” reads another.

“Thinking of all the fun times we had. I wish it was not you, this sucks. Love you.”

One person, who “may have not always seen eye to eye” with Jesse, wrote that the man would be “sorely missed, my friend.”

“I always had respect for the intellectual conversation. You were without a doubt a brite star shining everywhere you went. I know because you made those conversations a brite part of my day.”

Jesse’s intellectual side shone for a number of people, but was just one of several qualities people wrote about.

“Etched on my heart, there you’ll remain… Moments, memories captured… as if frozen in time. Your poetic, charismatic way, as well… Creative, humorous, intelligent, a son, father, dear friend,” one person wrote. “These words describe the kind of person you were, and so my friend, I’m sad to say farewell, Jesse. Until we meet again.”

One woman biking past the memorial early Friday afternoon told The News Jesse was “a great man.”

The collision occurred around 3 a.m. Wednesday in an area that is poorly lit and has no crosswalks, with drivers often speeding on the street, which is often used as a route between the historic downtown area and Sumas Way (Highway 11).