Fans of Silver Lake 'Walking Man' Express Grief, Admiration for Late Icon

The sudden death of Dr. Marc Abrams, better known as Silver Lake's "Walking Man," has inspired an outpouring of heartbreak and emotion from those in and around the community that he called home for 30 years.

Through blog posts, Twitter, and now a Facebook page, people have been expressing their sadness about the loss of a local icon.

On Twitter, the majority of tweets about Abrams' passing are full of strings of exclamatory and questioning punctuation, and "OMG" and "So Sad!" and frowning emoticons. But it is the sheer quantity that is staggering--enough to make "Silver Lake" a trending topic in Los Angeles on the social media site late last night.

In blog posts, where people can expand on their gut reaction in stretches longer than 140 characters, many who saw or knew the "Walking Man," are sharing awe, sorrow, stories of encounters, and images of the neighborhood legend. "Marc Abrams walked through the streets of our neighborhood every day, reading a newspaper that he held tightly folded against his tanned, taut chest," described Silver Laker Alissa Walker of Gelato Baby, who called Abrams her "hero."

Said one LAist commenter: "It won't be the same driving down the streets around here without seeing him from tim[e] to time clutching his folded new[s]paper like a runner's baton, intently stamping forward. "

In 2004, Abrams outlined his route in an interview:

A retired family practitioner, Abrams boasted in an LA Times slideshow published just last month about his diet of "chocolate, milkshakes, coffee, cookies, pizza, and cake" claiming he ate those things every day, but burned off the calories on his walks.

An autopsy on Abrams, who was found dead in his hot tub yesterday, is scheduled for today.