Patricia Darby didn’t hesitate when asked Friday what she will remember about her brother, James McCoy.
“His generous spirit and how much he adored Lili and Yoyo,” Darby said.
Darby, a Las Vegas resident, made her comments shortly after a vigil for McCoy — who died after being struck while riding his e-bike near North Jones Boulevard and West Elkhorn Road on Feb. 21 — Friday evening at Teton Trails Park.
Lili Wang, 8, and Yoyo Wang, 6, are McCoy’s daughters. After some words to remember McCoy, who was 62, the Wang sisters were among close to a dozen children who took part in a bubble release to honor McCoy.
A chilly March wind quickly took the bubbles away as the children scurried about. Close to 50 people attended the vigil.
Barbara Leach, McCoy’s mother, said the girls understand their father won’t be around any longer, but she noted it’s still probably hard for them to grasp the full magnitude of what happened last month.
Leach said Yoyo recently said she doesn’t want to go to bed lately because her dad can’t tuck her in now. The vigil took place next door to Howard Heckethorn Elementary, where the girls go to school.
“Their lives are changed forever,” Leach said after the vigil. “This is what people do to each other when they choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle impaired. Our laws have to be tougher. Our representatives need to get off their rumps.”
The afternoon of Feb. 21, Metropolitan Police Department officials said, Jesus Robles Jr. “displayed signs of impairment” while driving an unregistered Chevrolet Tahoe north on Jones Boulevard.
When Robles, 49, reached the intersection at Elkhorn Road, he drifted into the bike lane, striking McCoy, separating him from his bike, and knocking him to the ground.
Court records show Robles faces charges of driving under the influence resulting in death, reckless driving, failure to maintain travel lanes, and not having proof of insurance.
While speaking at the vigil, Melanie Angels, who knew McCoy through the school’s parent-teacher organization, read a poem. In part, she read, “the world doesn’t expect you to be fine with this. Be how you need to be.”
For Lili, she’s disappointed that she wasn’t able to attend her school’s daddy-daughter dance, which took place the day after the crash.
It wasn’t only the dance she was excited for — on special days, McCoy would let his daughter eat “snacks” all day long. She was looking forward to some homemade dance day French fries.
“He had just gotten a slicer and an air fryer,” Leach said. “He was teaching the girls how to make French fries. He did everything for them. We all miss him.”
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.