E-bike cyclist who died in Fairfax identified

Doug Martin, a well-known figure in Fairfax, died from injuries suffered in an e-bicycle crash.

An electric bicycle rider who suffered fatal injuries from a crash in Fairfax has been identified by the county coroner’s office.

Doug Keith Martin, 60, was found unresponsive on July 1 next to his e-bike on the 2800 block of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The Forest Knolls resident died from his injuries that night at MarinHealth Medical Center, Marin County Chief Deputy Coroner Roger Fielding said Monday.

Fairfax police are investigating the death, Police Chief Rico Tabaranza said. It is unknown if Martin was involved in a solo crash or if he was struck by a vehicle.

Martin was known around town for his top hat and his heart, residents said.

Hannah Williams recalled his habit of saying, “Aloha!” whenever she greeted him on the street.

“I was like, ‘Are you going to Hawaii anytime soon?” she said at one of Martin’s favorite spots, Nave’s Bar & Grill. “He’d say, ‘No, I like the meaning behind the word.”

Williams said that Martin came to Nave’s for the camaraderie. “He was definitely a character for sure, but he had a heart of gold,” she said.

Luke O’Neal described Martin as an “old Woodacre valley guy” who wore a top hat and always rode his bicycle. He said that he had a “goofy” personality, but he was always generous.

“He promoted the betterment of other people; he was there if people needed help,” O’Neal said at Nave’s.

Larry Bragman, a former Town Council member, said Martin’s sister gave him her brother’s top hat.

“I got a little memento that I will put in a special place,” he said.

Their friendship goes back nearly 35 years, he said. As an attorney, he represented Martin after he was arrested for his involvement in an environmentalist protest at the Golden Gate Bridge. Bragman said that Martin’s charges were eventually dropped in Marin County due to First Amendment protections.

“He was a giver, he was always someone who had your back,” he said. “He was a very positive person as a friend. He was someone who always had a smile, and was always respectful and diplomatic.”

They remained friends and worked together on a Town Council resolution to rename the Sir Francis Drake High School track after former Drake teacher, gold medal-winning Olympic runner, and Tuskegee Airmen instructor Archie Williams.

Fifteen years later, Martin campaigned heavily to have the San Anselmo campus renamed after Williams. He spoke of how his former math teacher impacted him when he addressed the Tamalpais Union High School District board in 2021.

Martin recalled that he struggled in his math classes until Williams took him aside and realized that he was dyslexic.

“He saved me from a bunch of trouble in my life,” he told the board at the time.

Bragman said that he and Martin last worked on a plan to organize an annual recognition of Williams at the high school that now bears Williams’ name.

“Hopefully, I can help carry that torch across the finish line,” he said.

Liz Seabury, who was the school’s principal during the name change, mentioned his work in advocating for a monument to Williams long before the name change.

“This was all on the energy of Doug,” she said.

Seabury also noted Martin’s homemade shirts that displayed messages such as “Archie Williams did good in the world, so I named a school after him.”

Seabury said that he gave her a shirt. “I will treasure the work and spirit of Doug’s belief in Archie Williams,” she said.

Ruffin Bailey, a staff member at the Gestalt Haus restaurant in Fairfax, said that he advocated the school name change with Martin.

He also recalled the sarcastic banter they traded when he visited the restaurant.

“That means we actually liked each other,” he said, laughing.

Near the bar are stickers that display the smiling faces of a few late cyclists who were regular customers at Gestalt Haus.

“I’ve worked here for eight years and it’s such a shame how many cyclists have died on the road, I’ve counted a dozen or more,” Bailey said. “We try to cherish their memories.”

When asked if Martin will get a sticker there, he quickly replied, “Oh yeah.”