Bill Beckwith was co-host of the HGTV series Curb Appeal. A native of Maine, where he grew up on a vegetable farm, Beckwith studied English and martial arts the University of Montana. During summer breaks, he restored cabins at a fly-fishing retreat in Wyoming.

After college he moved to northern California, where he became a licensed contractor and established his own construction business, BB Design Build. His expertise as a builder and outgoing nature made him an ideal fit for Curb Appeal, the popular home-renovation program that debuted in 2002.

Beckwith died after a motorcycle accident in San Francisco on December 2, 2013. He was 38.

In a statement, HGTV said, “The HGTV family is deeply saddened by Bill’s tragic death and we mourn his loss along with his many family and friends, who will miss his creativity, adventurous spirit and general love of life.”