"He wouldn't ask for nothing," said Chris Kallam.

When Kallam received word of Leoni's death on Wednesday night, he stood up and walked away, unable to contain the heartbreak.

"I was thinking about him and tears started rolling down my face," he said. "It's totally unacceptable. It shouldn't happen, but it does."

Leoni, 35, was riding his bike on Highway 99 on Wednesday night when he was struck by a Porsche just before 11 p.m. Investigators say the 26-year-old driver of the Porsche showed signs of alcohol or drug use. He has been booked into jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.

Friends say Leoni, who didn't own a car, was riding his bicycle home from Shoreline, where he worked.

Leoni's sudden departure has been overwhelming for many who relied on him for support. He worked as a life coach for adults with developmental disabilities at Banchero Friends Services, a nonprofit center.

For the past three years, Leoni sought to empower the developmentally disabled through Voices in Action, a legislative advocacy program.

Co-workers say when Leoni wasn't working overtime, he was volunteering. His efforts were even recognized by the state in 2007.

"He quickly became a bit of a star in our industry," said Cara Lee Cook, a co-worker.

The absence of such a giving man has been hard to bear for many at Banchero.

"Oh, it's tough, you know," Cook said. "It's been a really awful day. People just miss him. They are very sad, and blowing kisses to him in heaven."

Colleagues say Leoni had a masters degree and could have earned a higher income at another job. But they say his passion kept him at Banchero. He had taken joy in helping clients with their cooking, cleaning, banking, grocery shopping and even sobriety.

"I'm not the same person I was before. I'm a better person, and he had a lot to do with that," one client named Chris.

Grief counselors have been called in to help Banchero clients deal with Leoni's death. Still, Chris can't quite believe the man he thought of as his family is now gone.

"Last thing he said to me was, 'I'll see you later.' And that's never going to happen," he said.