'EWA BEACH — The time for tears has passed for the family of fallen motorcycle officer Steve Favela, and now their goal is to celebrate his life and continue their healing.

"There is nothing to cry about anymore or feel sorry about. He won't be here with us, but we will love and celebrate him. We're doing OK now," said Barbara Favela, 35, his widow, speaking at Holomua Elementary School yesterday. She was there to announce the creation of a fun run and safety fair honoring her husband's memory.

Proceeds from the run will benefit Holomua Elementary and The Cole Academy, two schools attended by Favela's children.

"The year has been hard. It went from the highest of highs with the birth of our fourth child to the lowest (point) anyone can imagine," she said.

It has been nearly a year since her husband's death, in a crash Nov. 21 while escorting President Bush's motorcade at Hickam Air Force Base.

"When I think of November, I get anxious. I don't know what feeling is going to come," said Barbara Favela, who met her husband in 1996 when he was fresh off a stint as a medical technician with the U.S. Air Force. He was a nurse's assistant and she was a registered nurse.

The couple were together for 10 years.

She remembers her husband coming home at 3:20 a.m. Nov. 21 after working an extra shift to escort the motorcade for the president, who arrived in town at 5:25 p.m. the evening before. On Nov. 21, the president planned to have breakfast with military personnel at Hickam Air Force Base before leaving for Camp Smith.

Steve Favela set his alarm for 4:15 a.m. but slept through it, she said, awakening only to the cries of their newborn baby. He dashed out of the house at 4:30 a.m., his wife said, and headed to meet the president's motorcade for the escort on Hickam.

An investigation into the accident concluded by Honolulu police this month found no fault on the part of Favela. The investigation cited the slippery roadway at the time of the 7:10 a.m. crash. It noted the road remained slick for hours after early-morning rainfall had stopped.

Barbara Favela yesterday said the fun run is a fitting way to honor her husband's memory.

"Steve was into health and fitness, that's the run right there. He was into safety and was always talking to the kids in school about protecting themselves and staying safe." she said. "This (planning for the race) is a way for us to look at (November) in a positive way. It is allowing us to celebrate Steve and all that he was. We're not going to forget and we're not going to let anyone forget who Steve was."

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.