A senior lecturer in NAU’s Honors Program died Sunday following a bicycle accident on Lake Mary Road earlier this month.
Everett Helmut Ramsay (formerly Akam), 65, was riding his road bike when investigators believe he struck a rock and was thrown to the ground, according to information from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
Ramsay was an avid cyclist, ski skater, rock climber and fly fisherman. He is survived by his wife, Anne Scott, herself a professor of English and an Honors professor.
She called him “a loyal and loving husband and a great stepfather,” in an online obituary posted to the university’s website.
Ramsay had been teaching in the Honors Program since 2009. His courses included “The Search for American Identity,” “Humanity and Inhumanity,” and “Systems of War and Peace.” He was working on a book about George Orwell.
“Ev was a true gentleman and scholar who was well-grounded in so many complex areas and disciplines,” Wolf Gumerman, director of the Honors Program, wrote in Ramsay’s obituary. “The depth and care that he put into his teaching was truly remarkable.”
According to a sheriff’s office report, Ramsay had lunch with his wife at about noon and told her he might go for a bike ride later in the day.
A 20-year-old Flagstaff woman found Ramsay on the ground in full protective gear next to his bike near Lower Lake Mary several hours later. He had trouble moving his limbs and told the woman his wife’s name. Medics arrived 15 minutes later and transported him to the Flagstaff Medical Center.
Ramsay was still on life support a week after the accident and couldn’t speak or move his limbs. On Sunday, his wife made the decision to cut off life support after it was determined he would be dependent on a ventilator, according to a report.
The initial accident call to deputies indicated that a cyclist had been hit by a vehicle, but investigators found no evidence indicating a hit-and-run.
The carbon fiber road bike frame was only scratched and the wheels were still true, making it unlikely that the bike had sustained a major impact. There were also scuff marks on the handle bars. Deputies discovered a large rock nearby with gouge marks scarred into the asphalt leading up to it.
A bicycle technician at the scene speculated that Ramsay had struck the rock with his pedal and lost control, deputies said.
His bicycle computer said he had ridden 17 miles.
“Right now everything is leading us to believe this is an accident,” said Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gerry Blair.
Ramsay received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from South Dakota State University. He later earned a master’s degree and doctorate in history from the University of Rochester.
Ramsay taught history from 1991-2009 at Casper College in Wyoming. While there, he also founded and served as director for the Veritas Honors Institute.
“He pushed students, but he also was so caring — not just about their learning but about them personally,” Gumerman said.
A memorial service will be held Dec. 7, at 5 p.m., in the Cline Library Assembly Hall.
Eric Betz can be reached at 556-2250 or ebetz@azdailysun.com.
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