Matthew Wilson
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Ever since Matthew Wilson got his first road bicycle at age 15, his passion was cranking through some of the area's most physically testing routes.
Wilson, who collapsed and died Friday after cresting Los Alamos Road outside Santa Rosa, had just recently finished the 103-mile Gran Fondo, a relative jaunt compared to other races under his belt.
Five times Wilson entered the Terrible Two, a grueling 200-mile ride made doubly tortuous by 16,000 feet of climbing. In his fastest time, Wilson finished in 12 hours, 43 minutes.
On Tuesday, friends and family said they had no idea why a steep but comparatively short ride had turned deadly.
His aunt, Diane Larkin, who helped raise Wilson, said she knew of no health issues that would explain his death. An autopsy performed Tuesday by the Sonoma County Coroner's Office is not likely to reveal results for several months.
Larkin said she had been expecting to celebrate her nephew's 23rd birthday at a dinner on Friday, not mourn him.
One of the few comforts from the cruel timing is knowing Wilson had recently received his driver's license and had just signed up as an organ donor, she said.
"He was so proud of being an organ donor," she said. "I think it's a birthday gift from Matt for anyone who receives anything from him."
His death also shocked the close-knit Sonoma County cycling community where Wilson was widely known not only as a rider but as a volunteer with the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and at frequent events.
On Saturday, 75 riders from numerous cycling clubs gathered to retrace Wilson's final route, many with pictures of him attached to their jerseys or bikes.
"Matt knew them all so everyone came together on this day as one big community," said Shaun Ralston, a close friend and fellow member of the Red Peleton racing team. "It was really nice."
On Sunday evening, more than 100 people gathered at Youth Community Park on Fulton Road for a separate memorial, Ralston said.
And at Santa Rosa Junior College, where Wilson was a student, someone brought flowers and pictures of him to the tutoring center. Wilson, who was fluent in Spanish, was a paid tutor at the school.
"I had no idea how many lives he touched," his aunt said. "It's amazing and it's given me strength."
Wilson also was an intern at St. Dorothy's Rest, the religious retreat in Camp Meeker where he lived. Wilson had volunteered there during sessions for children with cancer and those who had organ transplants, Larkin said.
Besides his aunt, Wilson is survived by his grandfather Ray Wilson, his mother Leena Wilson and sisters Rachelle and Liisa Wilson.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Wilson's life 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Dorothy's Rest in Camp Meeker. Donations may be made in his name to St. Dorothy's Hospital Camp or to the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.
