Friends and family of Josh Porter paint him as an adventure-seeking man who loved working with his hands and was well-loved by anyone who knew him.

Porter, 41, of Kirkland, died on Oct. 18 when his motorcycle struck a car as it turned on to NE 70th Avenue. He was a father of two girls, age 12 and 20, and a recent grandfather.

“From the time he was little, he loved to go fast,” said Sharon Nielsen, Porter’s mother. “That was him. He loved being outside, and he recently got to jump out of an airplane. That was one of the things on his list.”

Porter was born on the East Coast before moving to the Seattle area with Nielsen when he was 14 months old. He spent his most of his youth in Bellevue and was living with his girlfriend, Cecily Dunn, in Kirkland at the time of his death.

Porter attended Sammamish High School, and made a career in the home improvement and building supply industries.

“From the time he could pick up a crayon, he would draw with anything on anything,” Nielsen said. “His artistic ability, he gets from his father. He was so talented, just so talented, but he loved working with his hands and loved working around wood — always did.”

Porter was also an avid hiker and photographer, and recently conquered the Kalalau Trail on the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kawai.

Nielsen said the family has struggled to find a venue large enough for his memorial service, which is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 12 at Story Church in Bothell.

“He had many good friends, seeming to make a friend of everyone he met,” said his uncle Brandon Heller. “He had a good sense of humor, and was known to be the life of the party.”

A memorial Facebook page, Josh Porter Memorial Site, has been established to help friends and family connect to share memories and photos.

Porter is also survived by his father, Howard Porter, and brothers Jamie Smith and Simon Porter.