BY: Jennifer Kabbany
His smile lit up the room. His boundless energy was contagious. His talents on a skateboard were legendary, and it was for all these reasons and more that about 100 residents of Vista, Carlsbad and Oceanside came together to remember Marquise Echols.
Echols, 22, was killed Dec. 15 when a vehicle he was a passenger in was involved in a roll-over accident in Oceanside.
The remembrance took place Saturday evening at Carlsbad Skate Park in the form of a skate session in honor of Echols, an avid and highly talented skateboarder who family and friends say was passionate about the sport. “We are here to honor the way he lived,” said 21-year-old Ciara Echols, Marquise’s sister, who co-organized the event. “He was very active. He gave it all he got.”
Marquise Echols was a 2016 graduate of Rancho Buena Vista High School, where he was a member of the track team. More recently he worked at local restaurants and had plans to get his real estate license and flip houses, friends and family say, but mostly they added, he loved being active; whether he was doing tricks on his skateboard or riding his motorcycle, he was always on the go.
“This represents his life,” said Marquise’s best friend, Jacob Blackstone, as he watched skaters zip up and down the skatepark ramps. “He just loved to ride.” Blackstone, 23, of Vista, co-organized the memorial with Ciara. The high turnout shows how well loved Marquise was by friends and family, they said. “His smile lit up the room,” Ciara said. “You couldn’t be sad in a room where Marquise was happy.”
Blackstone said his best friend was “genuine” and “never had an ounce of hate for anyone. “His energy will live forever,” he said.
Marquise’s parents, Marc and Lisa Echols, were also in attendance. The two said they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they have received from the community. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for memorial and funeral costs and support the family.
As news spread of his passing, many North County residents remembered Marquise on social media as a ‘sweet soul’. “It’s so comforting to know he touched so many people and he was so loved,” said Marc Echols.
According to authorities, Marquise had been in the backseat of a car that was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit an embankment on a freeway transition ramp and flipped. He had reportedly not been wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle, and died after being transported to a hospital. Asked to weigh in on the accident, Ciara called it “very tragic.” “Please drive safe,” she said.
More info:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/288h5l3b6o
