The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 7/30/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Katie Stevens Jon Gumtow, brother of Rebecca Allen, comforts his son, after the memorial celebrating Allen's life, at the Oval at CSU on July 25. Hundreds gathered at the service to remember , many of whom arrived on bicycle in tribute to HER love for the sport.

Nearly 300 people gathered Friday afternoon, at the CSU Oval, to honor and remember avid cyclist and CSU faculty member Rebecca Allen who died July 22 when she was hit by a car while riding her bike.

Daniel Price, the motorist who hit Allen, is being charged with vehicular manslaughter.

"The Oval was a special place to Rebecca. She spent a lot of time here," said Allen's brother, Jon Gumtow, who opened the memorial with a tribute to his sister.

"Rebecca meant a lot to so many people," Gumtow said to the assembled crowd, many wearing flip-flops and arriving by bike, a pre-planned homage to Allen.

Chris Bartholomew, Allen's friend and coworker, asked for a show of hands from those whose "lives were touched by Rebecca." Almost everyone raised their arms into the air.

Guests were asked to wear flip-flops and bike to the Oval in honor of Allen, who wore flip-flops to her wedding and was a self-described "flip-flop kind of girl," said Bartholomew.

Faculty, students, family and friends, portrayed Allen as a person who delighted in laughter, went out of her way to help others and was passionate about cycling and the environment.

"She was a cheerful giver," said Bartholomew. "Rebecca thought of herself as a very lucky person."

Greg Luft, chair of the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication met Allen in 2000, when she was earning her BA in journalism and technical communication at CSU. He said she was recruited for the position of undergraduate program administrator.

"Over the years we talked about ways to keep Rebecca around because we thought so much of her," said Luft. "She really got a kick out of figuring out difficult student advising problems."

On a lawn littered with bikes, friends and family shared how Allen inspired them to take up cycling and recycling.

Continued...

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