INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday was a bittersweet day for Ethan Williams' family. It's been almost 2 years since the 20-year-old former IU student from Indianapolis was shot and killed in Brooklyn, New York.
His father Jason said there's not a day they don't miss him.
"We miss him every minute of every day. My wife still cries daily. His siblings miss him. It's a tragedy," said Jason Williams.
Ethan's family says he was a loving, smart generous person with a passion for reading and skateboarding. Shortly after he passed, his friends found the perfect way to honor him by proposing a memorial for him at a skate park they were working on.
"It's pretty remarkable to me. My son led that kind of life that drew people to him because he cared about other people," said Jason.
The project was in the works before Ethan passed but had been stalled for years. When Ethan was in high school, he was part of the Indianapolis Mayor's Youth Council. That connection and his family's dedication to making it happen were the driving forces to completing the park.
"I don't think there's a better way to honor someone with Ethan's energy than to have a skatable feature that represents everything he was passionate about," said Tim Devlin with Indianapolis Skate Park Advocates.
Organizers said it's been more than 20 years since Indy opened a skate park.
They chose to build it at Willard Park because of Ethan's passion for urban parks for kids.
His friends call it "Ebobs Park" in his honor.
"We grew up in the suburbs and a lot of the kids he met didn't have Little League baseball and all those things, and he thought it was a pretty cool thing they could have a place to gather," said Jason Williams.
At the heart of this skate park will always be Ethan. Encased in the concrete are his skate tool and the childhood book that sparked his love for reading.
"We wanted to memorialize his love for people, books, community skating, and knowledge," said Jason Williams.
Skater Nick Holub said he's blown away by the park.
"It shook everybody when this happened. Everyone is here to honor him. The fact that something good can come from something bad is just incredible" said Holub.
Jason Williams said the park is proof that Ethan's light still shines bright.
They plan to have a ribbon cutting around June 25 with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
The investigation into who killed Ethan is ongoing. Jason said there's a special task force of about 10 people assigned to Ethan's case.