Gainesville’s "Granny," a homeless woman named Rose McDonald-Loston, will be honored at a vigil months after a hit-and-run driver killed her.

Gainesville is honoring the life and memory of its "Granny" with upcoming vigils.

Rose McDonald-Loston, known to many as Granny, was a homeless woman frequently seen around town and known for her friendliness and optimism.

The community is holding an informal candlelight vigil for McDonald-Loston, who died at the age of 64 on Jan. 30, after a vehicle hit her from behind while she rode her bike north in the 300 block of Northeast Waldo Road, according to a Monday Gainesville Police news release.

The vigil is planned for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bo Diddley Plaza, and a second vigil hosted by Grace Marketplace and Gainesville Vineyard Church is planned for the same location Friday at 1 p.m.

Those who lived or worked downtown, where she was known to frequently stay, opened up to McDonald-Loston about their life challenges.

"If she saw you were struggling, she would help you," said Keegan Rogers-Mayfield, who grew up in Gainesville but now lives in Leesburg.

He said he had issues with depression when he lived here, but that McDonald-Loston was always there to talk to.

"She was very genuine when she smiled," he said. "She was definitely a granny. She laughed with you, she cried with you."

Rogers-Mayfield said even though he moved away from Gainesville four years ago, he frequently asked his sister, who is still in town, about Granny. He often thinks about conversations they had while drinking Maude’s coffee, talking about the possibility of alien life out in the universe.

In an interview with the YouTube channel Invisible People from February 2019, McDonald-Loston said she had been on her own since the age of 13 after fleeing a Kentucky orphanage.

She had been placed in permanent housing in Gainesville before, but left at least one location because it was close to addicts and drug dealers, who she wanted to avoid because she said she had stopped using drugs.

Jon DeCarmine, executive director of homeless resource center Grace Marketplace, said he has known McDonald for at least the past 10 or 15 years, when she lived out at tent city off the Hawthorne Trail. Over the years, she stayed with his family on cold nights and became a friend to his entire family.

"She always struck me as the reason to get people off the street and into housing," DeCarmine said.

He said McDonald-Loston’s story shows that homelessness in the community is not just a matter of having a "character flaw."

"It’s about the card she’s been dealt," he said.

DeCarmine said homeless pedestrians and bicyclists have been struck and killed several times in the past several years in town.

"It points to the need for something different to happen," he said.

DeCarmine said the city should consider putting a crosswalk in front of Grace to better deal with foot traffic in that area.

Downtown Gainesville resident Chris Arias said he saw McDonald-Loston frequently, and caught up with her to share new details about his life on a weekly basis.

"No matter how busy I was, I would stop and say hi to her," he said.

Arias said her resilient, kind spirit stood out. Talking with her about his own challenges while keeping her struggles in mind allowed him to develop a greater gratitude for what he had and to be present in the moment.

"She suffered through dire circumstances, but you could never tell from her personality," Arias said. "She smiled because it was sunny outside. She always had gratitude."

In the Invisible People interview, McDonald-Loston said she did not find her homelessness to be heartbreaking.

"It is to some," she said. "But to me it’s not, because I’m out here to help other people also."

Police are asking for anyone who might have seen the accident or know anything about it to come forward. Tips can be given at 955-1818 or by calling traffic homicide investigator Al Moore at 393-7744. Anonymous tips can be submitted for a cash reward through Crime Stoppers, www.stopcrimetv.