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Stormtrooper Kevin Doyle walked hundreds of miles in honor of his late wife

Kevin Doyle is a Stormtrooper just a few steps away from finishing his mission: proving that while The Force is strong, the power of love may be stronger.
/ Source: TODAY

Kevin Doyle is a Stormtrooper just a few steps away from finishing his mission: proving that while The Force is strong, the power of love may be stronger.

Since June, Doyle has been walking the Pacific Coast Highway, more than 2 million steps back and forth from San Diego Comic Con, wearing his Stormtrooper costume. It’s all in honor of his wife, Eileen, whom he lost to cancer and plans to start a foundation in her name.

"It's been a tough road without her," Doyle told NBC's Hallie Jackson for TODAY Saturday. "She's no longer with me, but I'm hoping that people will know who she was."

Doyle met his wife Eileen at a Star Wars party, and their 2010 wedding incorporated the movie that helped introduce them.

But just two years later, Eileen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After losing his wife to the disease, Doyle said he didn't do much. But this summer, he had a change of heart.

"You can't just sit at home as I was and self-destruct. You have to be productive," he said. "You have to honor that person."

Along the way, Doyle has stopped for plenty of Stormtrooper selfies, sometimes stopping traffic, and has been approached by plenty of supporters offering him a smile, somewhere to stay and even a ride.

By the time Doyle made it to Comic Con last month, he reached borderline celebrity status, with plenty of convention attendees stopping Doyle to tell him how much his journey meant to them.

Now, Doyle is getting ready to finish his journey by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday with dozens of Stormtrooper supporters.

"As long as people can find the faith and inspiration to beat this thing, whatever kind of cancer it is — that's what Eileen would want," Doyle said.