Sad News

[Osnabrock]

Sadly, one of the folks that attended the Spring rally has passed away.
May of us got the chance to ride with Ray Cole of Lake City, Minnesota at this year's rally.  I believe it was his first time to ride with our group. 
Here's a little write up in our district's ARMCA's remembering him.
http://armca.org/forums/topic/ray-cole/
Kind thoughts to his family and friends.

[Hank]

Sorry to hear it.   Did this happen during the enduro?

RIP Ray and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family..

[Osnabrock]

I believe that he was riding an enduro somewhere in Indiana.   
The man was a machine.  He'd ride enduros in Iowa on Saturday then drive through the night to Minnesota and race on Sunday.  TWO ENDUROS in 48 hours. He probably had the same plan for this weekend.
Good man.

[Fletch]

If he is who I think he is, he was with us the day Sprout had the abrupt dismount? In any case my thoughts and prayers go out to all family and friends

[Sportfaller]

That is sad news. Ray was camped next to me at the spring rally.  Really great guy with a ton of knowledge about all things bike and riding.  guess he's riding in the great beyond now.

[oktaneho]

Ray was a friend of mine, a valued member of our motorcycle club, and just an all around good guy.  Honest and a man of his word.  Ray always had a good story to tell about his latest adventure.  He was the first one to help if you needed it and it was rare if he wasn't at a club workday.  I recall one of the last work weekends we had for a trail ride, Ray worked on Saturday and camped over with 2 others for Sunday's workday as well.  Since there are turkey hunters in the area, our DNR permit doesn't allow us to be on the trails with a motorized vehicle until noon.  So Ray and the 2 others took off on foot Sunday morning early and cleared a bunch of trails by hand quietly before the rest of us got there.

John mentioned how Ray would ride a race in one state on Saturday and another in a different state on Sunday.  This wasn't a one time deal.  He did this for a couple of years and would race every enduro and harescramble in 2 different districts in the same summer.  I'm told the last enduro he entered he did every year because it went through a nudist colony.   Lately he wanted to start riding some dual sport events and bought that yellow DRZ-S you see in the picture.

It's fitting that Ray passed away during an enduro, something he loved to do.  We were told he was found next to his bike which he had clearly leaned against a tree, and presumably suffered a heart attack.

He will be missed.

Services are in Lake City, MN Fri evening and Sat:
http://www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Ray-Cole/#!/Obituary

Ray is in the middle in the yellow hat.  Photo courtesy of Douglas Shonley from this past spring's DDSR.

[greatbuffalo]

Wow. Thats way too sad but if there is a way to go. its doing something your love...quickly. I really envy that. Ride on Ray.