TCBA Forum posts re: Ed Noonan

I am in shock. I live in Williamston, have known Ed for all the years he’s been here, watched and admired his leadership and intensity on City Council, supported his devotion to his wife as they endured her illness for the past few years, appreciated his efforts to build a state-of-the-art Library through his creation of the Williamston Community Library Foundation, and rode with him on many stretches of DALMAC….just found out Ed has died by reading the latest version of the Chainwheel Chatter that arrived yesterday.
Ed was the consummate renaissance man–he was highly educated, connected to the past, understood and could analyze the present, but looked to the future and had a vision for it. I keep shaking my head in disbelief and will try to put his life into context, but right now, my thoughts are that our area has lost an amazing man who was passionate and intense about everything he did…cannot conceive of how his void will be filled…..
I had been on 20 DALMAC trips. It was Day 5 and my little sister was riding along with me for the week. We had just left the Harbor Springs bike shop and in less than 45 minutes, I had my very first flat tire–of my LIFE!! I knew my streak of never having a flat would end, but was crushed that the last day of DALMAC could be ruined like this, as I did not have a properly fitting spare tube with me. We didn’t have the wheel off the frame yet, when Ed pulled up in his SUV as one of the sag drivers that year–his health prevented him from riding that year…and he took me back to the bike shop, they repaired it and I went merrily on my way. Ed was enjoying himself helping his fellow bikers, and it was great to catch up with him, my neighbor.
Loved running in to him this past summer just before his shoulder surgery—he explained the plan and I was impressed with how cutting-edge it would be…that’s the last time we talked. He was upbeat, snarky about local politics, and recovering from the loss of his wife. Rest in Peace, Ed.

I got the bug to start riding a bicycle again after reading a book by Neil Peart called “Masked Rider”. That got me really interested in the idea of loaded touring, so I started researching the topic. It didn’t take long to come across Ed Noonan’s tale of his trip from Alaska to Florida. I read every bit of it and still today yearn for an epic journey like that. Ed was a rider whose experiences inspired many people. I had the fortune of meeting him briefly on my first DALMAC and shared a laugh with him on a slow climb a dozen or so miles out of Central Lake. I’m sure he made some comment about passing me on the way down the hill (he was riding his bent). Being new to cycling as a sport, it was always great to me to see this “elder statesman of cycling” at an event (like seeing Dick Allen on DALMAC). It’s a reminder to keep doing this thing I love so much and encouragement that I can enjoy it at any age.

I first met Ed when I moved to Michigan and joined TCBA. I believe that he was president at the time. He was a peerless raconteur, with a huge store of bicycling stories, as well as odd facts about practically everything else. On any given day, during a long ride, you might hear about his enthusiasm for his latest bicycling widget, or civic issues in Williamston, or issues with distributing WiFi in rural areas. I rode with him for three days straight during DALMAC in 2003, and a typical Ed story would start (in the middle of rural Michigan, miles away from any village) “You see that field there? It belongs to an ex-client of mine. He used to grow cucumbers for half of Vlasic’s annual pickle production……”. Since he was an attorney, he also had the quirk that on group rides, he would absolutely not call out “clear” at intersections because of liability issues.

We had lost touch a bit when I moved away, but he called me up out of the blue when he happened to be in Toronto just a little while ago on a visit. Unfortunately I was at work at my desk, but we chatted for a while, and he filled me in the latest: his excitement about working with law students at Michigan State University, his plans to erect an inukshuk as a grave marker for his beloved JoAnn to commemorate her abiding interest in Inuit Art, and his interest in all things Canadian, etc.

He was a good man, and I’m glad to have had the privilege to have known him.

Tailwinds old buddy.

I’ve posted a version of the above (along with a picture) here:

http://jnyyz.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/in-memoriam-ed-noonan/

I would not be riding a bicycle today if not for Ed. Of course, I had a bicycle as a kid but I’d left it behind with other “childish” things. Then I met Ed. He was serving on the Williamston City Council when I was hired at City Hall fresh out of college. He left the Council to ride his bike from Alaska to Florida and I was there when he rode into town at the halfway mark. I remember the catalogues and web pages he would show me with the gear he wanted to buy for the ride. He was like a kid in a candy store. When I went over to see the fully prepared bike before he left, I told him the weight would kick his middle-aged ass. He gave me the look and I shut up.

When I sold my car, he convinced me a bicycle was a perfectly acceptable form of transportation and inspired me to find one and use it. I could only afford a garage sale special, but that didn’t deter Ed from encouraging me to fix it up and ride it. If any of you frequented M-43 between Williamston and Lansing during the early 90’s, you probably saw me riding to the mall or Barnes & Noble (when they were in the old grocery store!) on a weekly basis. Ed was the only person who never saw my rides as out of the ordinary.

I left Williamston in 1995 but I would see Ed on and off over the years at club rides and on the DALMAC. He always acted as though no time had passed at all and would take up a conversation I wouldn’t even remember having had with him. He was always trying to convince me to give up my “wedgie” bike and buy a recumbent swearing I’d never go back.

Ed’s late wife JoAnn was also a dear friend and between them both they made the life of an introverted bachelor much more fulfilling.

You are missed, Ed.

There was a nice article on Ed in today’s State News.

http://statenews.com/index.php/article/ … n_students

I first met Ed in 2005 when I rejoined the club after a long absence. I hadn’t known of his epic Fairbanks – Key West ride. I soon learned about it. Ed was a great riding companion, the miles rolled on by while chatting with Ed. He introduced me to Lenny, Steve, Rao, Wendell, Jamie, Jan, Tony, and many more people in the club. I first used my touring bike for its intended purpose with Ed and Jamie on a ride to Alma in May 2008. Later that summer I rode with Ed and the group to the start of Summer Tour in Caro and did the same last summer to Baldwin. As a newbie to loaded touring Ed and Lenny couldn’t have been nicer to me, answering all my questions.

I will miss Ed. Just a few weeks ago I e-mailed him about possibly riding through Ontario on the way back from the Five Day UP finish in the Soo. He replied that he was interested if he wasn’t working at the MSU Law School. Ed was a good friend who did a lot for the club and passionately believed in it. Rest in Peace, Ed.

Bill

Thanks for starting this thread. I was sad and surprised to hear of Ed’s passing. I met Ed on my first DALMAC on the 5 Day West tour. Although I did not know Ed well, he enjoyed sharing some of the Club history along with his own ride experiences. He made me feel welcome when I was a new member and provided that steady reassuring presence often. It seemed like Ed was always smiling and that he truly enjoyed the sport, the outdoors and the people in our club. I am sure we will all miss Ed.