May 23, 2013
Family and friends of Wayne Leroy Malick said their last goodbyes Thursday.
Malick was killed in an accident April 1 during a charity bike ride for the American Cancer Society.
Bikers revved up their engines one last time for their friend and fellow rider, Wayne Leroy Malick.
Riders wearing jackets and colors of every kind filled the funeral service at South Harlem Memorial Gardens.
To Harold Smith, Wayne wasn't just a neighbor; he was like family.
"I found him to be honest and a man of his word," Smith said.
Most of the time, you'd find Smith leaning on something to help him stand, but he says Wayne was always there to help.
"He's always willing to help me since I got older, he'd call me and ask if there's anything he could do," Smith said.
And it was Wayne's love for his bike that will never fade from memory.
"I remember when he bought his new Honda, he always wanted a new one," Smith said.
It was that same love that cost him his life...and nearly killed his wife Kathy.
They were riding in a charity bike ride for the American Cancer Society on April 1 when a driver crashed into the group of bikers.
There's a new white cross now in his memory on County Line Road, next to dash marks that document the awful memory of when and where it all went wrong.
Initially, Kathy Malick was in critical condition, but things are looking up for her and her two fellow riders at MCG.
She along with Carl Albritton and Elisia Hodges are all in fair condition now at the hospital.
