FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A huge crowd of craft beer lovers packed into Tioga Sequoia in Downtown Fresno this weekend to remember a man they thought of as a mentor, father, husband, and friend. On Saturday, Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company helped organize a commemoration of Kevin Cox. "His influence and his work touched so many other people and other breweries," said company President Michael Cruz. "We're today to celebrate that and bring it into legend." Cruz described Kevin as a mentor and close friend - but more than that Cruz says he was integral to establishing craft brewing in Fresno. "Kevin was part of the early craft beer movement in the early 90s with Butterfield's," Cruz said. "His local legacy started at the point." Cruz says Kevin was one of the trailblazers for craft brewing in Fresno and he shared his knowledge with many, creating a generation of brewers who revered and respected him. Kevin's day of remembrance at Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company helped not only allow his loved ones to mourn but also inspire the next generation of craft brewers in his name. "We're announcing today the start of the Kevin Cox Memorial Fund," Cruz said. "What we hope, is to turn his life here in the valley into legacy." Zachary Avila is another brewer influenced by Kevin; he says he'll miss Kevin's laughter, energy and kindness. "He was one of those guys who was just so kind-hearted organically," Avila said. "He immediately made you feel like family. He made me feel like a son." Avila says Kevin was more than a mentor, but a friend "and in many ways family." The bar room showed photos of Kevin and later more of Kevin's loved ones stepped onto the stage to share their memories and stories. Long-time friend Dales James spoke about Kevin's early years as a brewer. "I started brewing beer, not very well I might add," James said. "He got really good at it really quickly, like a lot quicker than I did - it developed into a lifelong friendship." California State Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria presented Kevin's widow, Terry Cox, with a "special memorial resolution." According to Soria, the resolution will forever memorialize Kevin Cox in the State of California's history. Soria revealed that even she was deeply affected by Kevin's sudden death, as the two of them were friends. "We loved each other, I'm probably the only Democrat he ever voted for," Soria said. "I'm going to miss the nights we went out to dinner, [Kevin], Terry, my husband and me. But I will cherish the time we had." At the end of the event, Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company President Cruz invited patrons to mingle and enjoy themselves in Kevin's memory. "He'd want to see smiles. He'd want to see joy in people's hearts," Cruz said.