- Date Of Birth: October 12, 1974
- Date Of Death: May 16, 2021
- State: Colorado
Gwen Erffmeyer Inglis died on May 16, 2021, as the result of an impaired driver who struck her while Gwen was doing what she loved, riding her bike.
Gwen was born on October 12, 1974 to Gerald and Carol Erffmeyer. In high school she was very active, playing basketball, volleyball and running track. She went on to play basketball and was an All-American high jumper at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she received her degree in accounting. For the past 14 years, Gwen worked as Manager of Government Account Compliance at Brown and Caldwell.
In 2004, Gwen discovered her love of cycling and began racing. This love of bikes led her to meet her husband, Mike. In 2008 they were married. As fellow cycling enthusiasts, they traveled to bike races all over the country together, often both competing once or twice in the same day, frequently both standing on podiums. She held numerous national and state champion titles. You might also see them on the tandem together, Mike on the front as the pilot, and Gwen as the stoker on the back. The words “Power Couple” were frequently heard referring to this dynamic duo. Besides being teammates on and off the bike, they were best friends, lovers of life, who lived life to the fullest. Mike and Gwen and their two dogs, Jazzy and Rascal, adventured all over together. Gwen’s favorite birthday ritual was to try something new (and often a little scary) on her birthday each year.
Her oldest nephew Grant perfectly sums up her love of her family:
“Gwen treated her niece and nephews with pure selflessness. While many knew Gwen as a cycling champion and fierce competitor, her niece and nephews knew her as a generous aunt who cared for them in many ways, both large and small. The time Gwen spent with her niece and nephews was filled with fun, laughter, and joy.
Gwen lovingly gave her time by attending her nephews’ sporting events while offering the earnest encouragement that many knew her by. She generously gave to her autistic niece Morgan’s school and diligently raised awareness for autism. Gwen shared her spirit of adventure by taking her nephews hiking, bicycle riding, and even skydiving. Finally, she loved her niece and nephews in small yet remarkably meaningful ways.
It’s true – Gwen offered her full self to anyone in her presence, listening fully and leaning in. Gwen was magnificent at bike racing, at being a teammate, at being a friend, at being a wife, at anything she did. She made every race, every room, every encounter and experience brighter. She represented pure love and all that is good. She was powerfully faith-filled and set a positive example to us all of what it means to be a Christian, to live a life of kindness and grace, and she made the world a better place.
Gwen is survived by her husband, Michael Inglis;
Her parents, Gerald and Carol Erffmeyer;
Her siblings, Keith (and Alissa) Erffmeyer, and sisters Laura (and Tim) Schnyders, and Julie Erffmeyer;
Her Niece Morgan, and her Nephews Grant, Logan, Blake, Dillon and Micah;
And Mike’s parents, Don and JoAnn Inglis, and Mike’s brothers Donald (Laura) and Curtis (Mitzie) Inglis.
