Avondale Estates is mourning the death of a neighborhood character, Gino Handley, a craftsman and sometime panhandler who lived by his wits in the woods near Covington Highway, and was seen frequently in the company of his pit-bull mix, Dora.
Both were killed March 2, as they walked near Covington Highway and I-285.
“Gino was a fabulous handyman,” said Jennifer DeWeese, an Avondale Estates resident who made friends with the pair about three years ago. “He could do anything you needed to do… I own a 1950s ranch, and you know how hard it is to fix one of those things. He could figure how to make the door close right, or the lock hang properly.”
Elmar Eugene Handley and Dora were struck by a vehicle near Covington Highway and I-285 at 7:54 p.m. Friday, March 2, according to Lt. Lonzy Robertson, public information officer with DeKalb County Police Department. Robertson said the investigation into the death remains open and that the driver, who remained at the scene, will be charged with driving under the influence.
Robertson said the driver will not be charged with other driving offenses, because “Handley was standing in the middle of the road” when he was struck.
Handley was not immediately identified after the accident, and his remains were claimed by the county medical examiner. When he was finally identified and word spread last weekend that he had been killed, Avondale residents reacted with shock and sorrow. Worshippers at the nearby Peace Baptist Church on Covington Highway sent up prayers in Handley’s name and friends posted their grief on the Nextdoor neighborhood website.
“This made me cry my eyes out,” wrote one neighbor online. “Two such harmless, gentle, innocent lives so cruelly wiped out.”
DeWeese, a construction project manager, made friends with Handley as she drove past him each day, stopping to bring Handley dog food or a clean dry pair of socks. She convinced him to relinquish Dora long enough for the dog to get spayed. “He was nervous about that process,” said DeWeese. “He didn’t want her to be away from him that long.” She said that Handley took great care of his traveling companion. “He may have missed a meal, but Dora never missed a meal.”
DeWeese said Handley’s mother was notified of his death and she traveled to Atlanta from Macon to have her son and his dog cremated. She returned home with their ashes.
DeWeese said she wanted to speak on Handley’s behalf in court if possible. “I’d like to be kept informed when hearings are, want to make an impact statement. I want people to know they had friends. They had people who loved them and cared for them.”
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