Just seeing the thread title was sad, knew what it meant.
Can’t say anything better than what’s already been said, except to add losing a mentor always leaves a void. Even if some of the time I had no idea what you were talking about, due to your advanced mechanical knowledge.
If weight of your bikes is the problem, an e-bike might be a solution. But if your balance is suspect, then probably not, as you’d be higher up (further to fall) on skinnier tires.