Last month, Harrisburg lost one of its most dedicated and charismatic public advocates, Ross Willard.
Ross, 75, was the founder and force behind Recycle Bicycle, which gave away thousands of bikes over the course of the past 25 years—mostly to people who, otherwise, couldn’t afford them. He also taught bicycle repair and safety, and pressed, often against considerable odds and opposition, for bike-friendly streets and infrastructure.
Around Harrisburg, it was hard to miss Ross. Sure, he spent hours nearly every day in his workshop on Allison Hill, but he also was a constant presence on city streets and at events. At annual riverfront festivals, he’d gladly babysit your bike as you enjoyed your day, and maybe even tune it up in the process, leaving it in better shape than when you dropped it off.
We often encountered Ross at public meetings for road and bridge projects, where he made no bones, before government officials, about the need for bike lanes and accessibility. Sometimes, folks listened; too often, they did not. But that never deterred Ross from forging ahead, in his determined, pointed style, ready to wage the next battle.
We were delighted to call Ross a friend of TheBurg.
I’ll never forget the day, nearly a decade ago, when Ross appeared unexpectedly at our door, shortly after we moved into our current offices on N. 3rd Street. He welcomed us into our new space in the most Ross-appropriate way possible, with a gift of a reclaimed and fully repaired bicycle, which we deemed “TheBurg Bike” and still have.
Ross leaves us with a remarkable legacy, one that I’m certain now will be taken up by other members of Recycle Bicycle. Nonetheless, it surely will take the Harrisburg community, and the area’s biking community, time to rebound from the loss of such a committed, caring man, who was unmatched in his dedication and generosity.
To honor Ross, we are sharing a gallery of photos that show him in his natural environment: fixing bikes, riding bikes, teaching about bikes, etc. We thank Recycle Bicycle for providing most of these images and ask, if you can, to please donate to the organization at www.rbhburg.org.
A Celebration of Life for Ross will be held June 19 at Christ Community Church, 1201 Slate Hill Rd., Camp Hill. It will begin at 6 p.m. with visitation followed by a 7 p.m. service. The Harrisburg Bicycle Club will host a bike ride to the service.
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