MARINA, Calif. -- Don Quixote had his windmills, and Mehdi Shahbazi had his gas pumps. Both men were destined to lose their battles.

The longtime owner of a gas station in the town of Marina in Monterey County lost his battle with Shell Oil when he passed away last week after going on a hunger strike to protest the oil giant.

Shahbazi's son, Saam Shahbazi, visited his father's gas station that has been turned into a makeshift memorial with flowers.

"This is not the way I wanted it to turn out," Saam Shahbazi said. "The community made it a memorial by putting the flowers there and showing their support."

The senior Shahbazi's fight with the oil giant began several years ago but came to a head in 2005.

Shahbazi posted signs at his station accusing Shell Oil of manipulating gas prices and gouging station owners and their customers.

The company responded by first taking away his gas and later his entire operation.

Shahbazi tried to draw attention to his cause by beginning a liquid-only fast in June.

By September he was in the hospital until he died last week at the age of 65.

"It was apparent that this was the worst-case scenario," Saam Shahbazi said. "He spoke to us about it and we came to an agreement that if we wanted to do this right way, we had to do it all the way, so we were going to support him all the way."

Saam Shahbazi said he believes his father was not crazy as many others believe and that his father did not die fighting oil companies but instead he died standing up for his neighbors.

"People are barely making it in the city already," he said. "Is it crazy (to) not want to see your fellow people lose their homes? Personally I think it's crazy not to do something about it."