Garth Rememberances - at family's request

[BradfordBenn]

Hello All-
I was asked by Bill to put up an area where we can share rememberances about Garth. Bill put this one up at the Rounders and I told him I would transfer it over here.

Hi fellow rounders this is Bill in IN. I am Garths dad.
I am sitting here this morning with thoughts running thru my head and can't sleep. Recalling memories of some of the rallys Garth and I have gone to. One of the best was at Zimbrics Bass Lake Rounders event.

We were sitting around the fire and I had called Garth and convinced him to come up from Indy. He had just finished working a catering event. He showed up about 1 in the morning, pulled a beer from the keg and had a seat at the fire. Introductions were made of course and talk continued. Of course one of the topics was what do you do? Garth said " I'm a college student working on my masters in opera performance at IU". Of course everyone said huh...........? Uhh..does that mean you sing with a horned helmet on? someone asked. Garth said "no not yet but I've got a sword". Of course everyone laughs, and then the question. What do you sing? I told Garth "sing something you've been working on" He stands up turns his head and coughs. (He has always turned his head and coughed before he sings since he was a little boy.) He starts singing in German "Be Still the Night" . He finishes the music and sits down. One of the neighbors a house or two away calls out. "That was beautiful". Softly, from across the lake, we hear someone yell "BRAVO BRAVO". Yes, it was beautiful. It is a moment that will be etched in my heart and mind forever!!

I will post the funeral arrangements when Laura and I have them made.

Bill

[jgr451]

What a lovely story, a great remembrance.I didn't know Garth except through his online presence.I would have liked to meet him...maybe I will meet his dad one day.

Thanks for the word picture of a fine companion.

[manicmechanic]

I met Garth last year at the Solstice event. Listeing to him sing that evening had me in awe. Such a personable and friendly fellow. We are all poorer for his loss.

[einnar]

I was there at the Bass Lake event, and remember that Bill. I can't think of anything else you can do at 1am that will get you a "bravo" like that. Definately something I'll always remember. I also remember sitting outside the beer tent in Lima, and talking to you two for quite a while. Garth was special in his own way, but I was struck by the chemistry you two had as well.

My 2 top memories of him.

[dancogan]

I never had the opportunity to hear Garth sing. But I had a little understanding of what he was facing in life, and how happy he was when you knew what next year would bring. My son is also a graduate music student, and Garth and I exchanged a few e-mails about what both of them were hoping for in the future. Garth, I truly hope you have found it! Bless you and your family.

[Grey_Matter]

Mr. Eppley, that is the nicest story I have read in a long time. I have a 10 year old son who is my best buddy in the world. I hope to be as close to my son as you & Garth when my boy reaches Garths age.

Please accept my most sincere condolences. I can not even imaging what you must be going through.

[redhot]

I first met Garth at the Solstice last year and then met up with him a few times after that and he was always so much fun. I will surely miss him!! My condolences go out to his family!!

[beemerred]

Bill was supposed to meet me and Garth at the Falling Leaf one year ( Bill and I had been many times before) but Bill wound up not being able to make it so Garth and I were rally buddies that weekend. The weather and roads were great. We had met up with Dave Clarks daughters and took off on one of my favorite roads PP to C to DD to Bixby. At Bixby Garth`s shock was bottoming out so we shifted a daughter to Jerry a Dean @ Anderson that Garth knew and had come along. I had bragged about another road that I really liked and off we went to KK ( a mining road) that starts off slow but improves dramacticly after the mine entrance. Just a few minutes after the entrance Garth flew by me headin` for 100 (mph that is)! That night in the campground he said"I thought you were crazy until that road just opened up before me." I can still remember the smile on his face. It was a great week-end for me because I was a surrogate "Bill" and enjoyed showing him around the rally. It was fun feeling young again! beemerred :bikes

[beemerred]

Garth had come to St. Louis to meet a girlfriend at the Webster U. opera audition/rehearsal. She drove to my house for a dinner break and they played my baby grand and sang. The baby grand was a little out of tune but they were wonderful. She went back and at the agreed upon time I drove Garth over to the rehearsal so they could go out with some young friends. As we pulled up she was putting stuff in her car and me trying to embarras Garth a little yelled to her "Hey I got a big hunk of Indiana beefcake here!" And she did her best Homer Simpson Yoo Hoo. It was funny and they were great together. :buds

[James.A]

Mere words are inadequate to capture the sense of loss in my soul. I first met Garth at the Solstice ride at Loraz's place at Cinnamon lake. We rode back west across Ohio and Indiana only to part ways after a much needed break at Hooters. That was one hot miserable ride, but Garth was one tough SOB and set a good pace to get everyone well on their way.

Lima was a blur.

At Zimbric's camp out, it was Garth who convinced me that the jet-ski was just as much fun as riding across Ohio. Actually, it was more fun. I also met Bill for the first time.

However, it was the camp out that Garth and Bill organized at the Yellow-wood state forrest that will remain in my mind as the perfect riding event. There is Garth and Bill setting up a campsite. Of course, the first thing I have to do is pee. Then tap a keg and cook some chow and tell lies, and truths, and greet the other campers, and just live it up. The joy of fellowship we shared that weekend is what living is all about.

Y' know, Bill, I love you guys, and Garth and you will live in my heart until MY dying day.

[PacWestGS]

Yes, this is about Life and Living, it was written as a 'Tribute' to Garth about some of my own experiences and losses in life.

I'm certainly not trying 'blow my own horn here' this is about Garth and the way he choose to live life. There are lots of threads and posts going on here and I want others to see this one as well they may not have associated it with Garth's untimely passing. It may or may not move you, but it will give a small glimps of what is really important throughout one's life. To many people take something or someone for granted, like Children are supposed to out live their parents, but sometimes that doesn't happen. It's like the song Harry Chapin Carpenter "Cat's in the Cradle". If you pass up the opportunities sometimes they are gone forever. http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10238

I'm happy to see that Bill and Laura were a huge part of Garths' life, I'm sure that is why he was someone so special to people who didn't even know him. Those are the rare ones, and the people who remembered the longest after their passing from this world and on to the next.

Godspeed Garth and Bless you both Bill and Laura for raising such a fine young man.


Russ

[John Brase]

This was posted to the Indianapolis BMW Club mail list. I am re-posting it here with the writer's permission.

Carl Caldwell wrote:
...
On a more personal note, when Garth was a student here at Anderson University, we discovered our mutual passion for motorcyling. At the time, he had a late '80s R80 that he talked about as if it were a jewel, but when I saw it, I saw a nearly worn out bike, the gas tank of which looked as if it had been brush painted with black house paint. He loved that old bike and drove it all over the country. One winter, he and his dad tore the engine down and rebuilt it. He never did fix a couple of troublesome electrical gremlins that caused him to breakdown. But he never grew uncorked with the bike or with riding. He later sold it and bought a K75 with over 100K miles, but could not have been more proud of his new ride than one of us who drives away from the showroom with a brand new K1200LT or R1200GS. Again, he grew attached to the bike. I can recall that he came to my office just before graduating wearing a brand new Aerostich Roadcrafter suit, light blue, that his parents had given to him for graduation. He had a passion for riding and living.

After he graduated from Anderson, we once ended up at the Falling Leaf Rally at Potosi, MO, and had a great talk. We stopped being teacher/administrator and student and became good friends. His one regret with a growing professional life at IU School of Music was that it cut into riding time.

What a terrible tragedy that his life, and the lives of his friends, has been cut short. I will miss Garth.

Carl Caldwell

[Rob Nye]

Some time in the fall of 2001 I was approached about being co-chair of the BMW MOA Foundation's frst crack at a camp for younger riders. What is now known as Camp Gears started as Camp Trenton.

I thought it was a noble cause and enlisted the help of my local club, the Yankee Beemers for use of equipment. To be honest I figured that helping put on Camp Trenton for the MOA Foundation would get us a prime spot and it did.

We set up our gear and eagerly awaited our campers to arrive. We had recruited most of the campers from their parents (MOA Members) and I had no idea what to expect. I had little prepared for the course, other than copying a bunch of articles from the Owners News and an outline. The plan was for the campers to tell us what they wanted to learn.

On Tuesday afternoon a young man arrives on a not prestine but far from ratbike Airhead. He had all his gear on just right, not a loose strap or item out of place. He introduced himself as Garth from Indiana and asked if I was Rob. I said yes and I asked him where he was coming from. He told me Indiana and I asked him when he left. He replied "yesterday".

"who did you ride with" I asked.

"Nobody"

I gave him another look and I asked him what exactly did he expect to learn from a reprobate like me? It appeared that he had riding, touring and wrenching pertty well figured out. He told me he was not really into the "educational" aspects of Camp Trention but he really would like to meet some riders his age, perhaps even a young lady.

I asked him how old he was and I am sure I heard him say 21, so I informed him the beer lamp was burning and offered him a cold beer.

While Garth met a few riders his age his peers turned out to be many of us he hung out with in Trenton. Garth was an individual who could hang with anyone and we loved it when he hung out with us. He joined the Yankee Beemers and we were always thrilled when he would show up at our events in New England. I can't tell you how flattered we were that he thought enough of us to have YB in IN as his username and make the effort to camp with us, riding in from Indianna for our little parties.

Garth manning the taps at the Damn Yankees Rally
http://ttguy.smugmug.com/photos/7132082-M.jpg

Everyone in our club who camped knew Garth, everyone who participates in our forum knew who Garth was; a great guy from Indianna who had life by the balls. An Opera Singer who rides BMW's. How cool is that?

My heart goes out to his family and especially his parents. It is just so wrong to be preceeded in death by your child, nothing can prepare you for it. I wish there was something more appropriate I could say that would offer some comfort but I am at a complete loss.

Godspeed Garth, my prayers are for you. You were a great friend and for someone over 40 a great example of the promise many of our younger friends hold for a bright future. I can't believe you are gone. I am so very happy to have known you and able to call you a friend; yet this only makes the pain of your death that much sharper.

Damn.

[blake]

i met garth at the trenton national. i was rob's lacky/ride leader for the "youngsters" gathering that garth was there for.

garth and i became friends quickly that rally. the next year at charleston we hung out, had dinner with bill and the mrs, and swapped bikes for a ride in one of the lovely rain storms that rolled thru that year.

later that year i ended up with an extra k75s in my garage. at exactly 100k it became garth's bike. he loaded it in the back of bill's truck and drove straight back to so he could get it registered/tagged the next morning.

one of my favorite threads on this forum was garth and bill replacing the engine on his k75s with a spare that bill had laying around. i had to go dig around and find a pic. garth always seemed to be smiling.

[BubbaZanetti]

seeing that picture that dave took of Garth and I really choked me up. i met Garth at Lima last year. i'd talked up this cucumber gin called Hendricks to him a few weeks before the rally. after his arrival on friday night i was invited over to the Eppley camping area and reminded about the gin. we stayed up most of the night, cutting up cucumbers, sampling the finest gin in the world and sharing stories. waking up the next day for the AMA superbike races at mid ohio we were both in a bit of rough shape. we made it though the crowds in one piece, parked our beemers in the middle of the track and sat in the hot sun checking out the races and the ducati girls. it was such a great day, one i will never forget. meeting Garth that weekend and having someone to hang out with wo was my age made the rally really great for me. he was one of a kind, and will be dearly missed

[Callmethebreeze]

I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragedy of Garth's passing. Although I met him only once, I feel that I came to know him through his posts on the Forum and elsewhere. His passion for his art and motorcycling were inspirational. I greatly enjoyed his posts about his performances and his recent professional career opportunity. Such joie de vivre was one of his many exceptional talents. Garth made this world a better place during his all-too-brief time among us. We will all miss him.
My thoughts and prayers are with his loving family.
Breeze

[Chacifer]

This is from the YB Forum (http://p072.ezboard.com/byankeebeemers)

How about the time at the MOA National rally when a huge wind kicked up knocking down the main events tent and blew several camping tents into the muddy river. It was Garth along with his friends who dove into the heavy current and hauled several tents out of the water. One of the tents belonged to my traveling buddy, YB, Carl Marco. Garth retrieved the tent and all his camping gear. Another tent had a poodle trapped inside. Garth saved the dogs life!
Just the kind of guy he was.
Losing Garth is a Huge loss to us all. :(
Dana Lewis
YB/VP

[carlc]

There was a sad/joyful/tearful/laughing funeral service for Garth today, April 28, at his church, a United Methodist Church in La Fontaine, IN. (Please, no fancy French pronunciations for this Hoosier town: it's Luh FOUN tun, not Lah Fon Tayne.) The sun shown from a cloudless sky. The redbud and crapapple trees were in full bloom in this lovely little town. During the service, his father, Bill Eppley, spoke, his mother, Laura, sang, and his brother, Miles, sang the very song, "Still Wie Die Nacht" (Calm as the Night) that Bill describes at the beginning of this thread. Not many dry eyes when Miles finished. What courage on their part! As you watch Garth's family, it's little wonder where Garth got his talent for music and his passion for motorcyles. Bill says that he took Garth for his first ride at age 6 months and Garth loved it. Garth told his music teacher when he was age 5 that he wanted to be an opera singer. Garth's cousin, Rob Barton, is the minister of this church and spoke eloquently about fear, and about not allowing our hearts to be troubled. Lots of comments from Garth's friends during the time of sharing about how Garth had wonderful way of befriending people and loving them. A combined choir made up of singers from Anderson University, Garth's undergraduate school, and Indiana University, where he was about to complete his master's degree, sang a stirring version of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" by John Rutter. Lots of tears. Lots of laughter. A life affirming service. Several BMW riders were there, on bikes, and led the way to the cemetery after the service.

Oh that we could bring joy into the lives of others in the way that Garth did. May he rest in peace.

[James.A]

Strong men may also weep.

[PacWestGS]

I wept today about an hour ago, listening to some old tunes. We'll probably weep again at the rally.

"Drinking The Good Drink"

[ian408]

I didn't know Garth except through the forum. I had hoped to meet him
one day.

When I'd read the news, I was devastated. I posted and then Burnzilla and
I traded IM's. I recall saying that even though I'd never met him, I felt that
I'd gotten to know him through his posts. Everything from the rebuild to the
anticipation of his new job. The announcement of his passing was
devastating--I cannot explain why. It was more profound than I could
have imagined.

That evening, I went to the driving range. In the back of my mind, I had
hoped I'd come home and find it was all a dream. However, on Sunday,
a small 1" piece in the San Jose Mercury News confirmed it was not a dream.

Not much has been said about the friends he passed with but to them and
their families, I offer my heart felt condolences.

Mr. & Mrs. Eppley, you've shown that even in your own grief, there is
compassion for others. Thank you both. May peace be with you.


Ian

[BradfordBenn]

In speaking with Bill Eppley (BE in IN) also known as Garth’s Dad, Bill asked that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Garth Eppley Memorial Music Scholarship. The scholarship is to be used for continuing music education. As logistics are being worked out, please forward any donations you would like to make to the BMW MOA office which will forward them on to the Eppley’s.

[BEinIN]

As the title said: We are starting live again, one day at a time. Here is a poem Garths' cousin wrote. It contains no beemer content, but as you know Garth was so much more then just a motorcyclist. Family and all of or friends are helping us thru this difficult time. Looking forward to meeting and seeing you all at a rally soon.

Bill




My Music Still Lives On
by Janice Rodgers

Though you do not hear it,
I've joined the heavenly throng.
I'm singing praises to the King...
My music still lives on.


I know its hard to understand;
To you it seems so wrong.
But Jesus swept me in His arms,
And my music still lives on.


Some days ahead will still be hard,
Some nights so very long.
But rest assured I'm quite alright,
And my music still lives on.


I'm walking down the golden streets
And singing a brand new song.
It's even better than imagined;
And my music still lives on.


Grandma and I are quite a pair
As we kneel before the Son.
She makes me sing for everyone,
And my music still lives on.


One day you'll be there with me,
When you get your heavenly crown.
We'll never be apart again,
And our music will still live on.

[Rob Nye]

Bill,

Thanks for sharing that with us.

Even here, Garth was much more than just a BMW Rider.

[PacWestGS]

Bill and Laura and family too,

I'm very happy to hear you are getting on with 'life', Garth would want that from you. He will always be missed and during certain times of the year he will be an empty spot at your table, but never in your hearts.

He is with God now, and singing in the most wonderful choir in Heaven.

Many :hug and well wishes, see you at the Rally.


Russ

[pvtpepper]

Dear friends of Garth. Perhaps this might be the wrong place to put some of these photos of Garth's bike but I don't think they need to be in a new thread, so I'll post them here in the original thread.

I purchased Red Pony from a friend, Rick Coffman at Aircraft Operations Center, FedEx, where we both worked in 1999. The little red K75s had about 52,000 miles on it and was well maintained by Rick, an aircraft maintenance tech.

I rode the Red Pony for about three years and attended many rallies on the bike and always enjoyed riding her. I added few farkles other than a V1 radar detector, an Ohlins shock and some better fork springs.

About 2003 or so, I sold Red Pony to BMWBlake (Smith) with about 100k on the clocks and he in turn sold the bike to Garth after some refurbishing. Blake already had a red K75s so he had a stable full of ponies for awhile. Cost him a lot of carrots for those fine ponies!

I have to say that Red Pony was the finest motorcycle I've ever ridden and I've owned a few bikes over the last 40 years; there was just something special about that bike and I always will remember it with great fondness.

I've attached some photos here:

http://scumshine.smugmug.com/photos/50174386_cbAYt-O.jpg

Standing left to right, Brent Jass and his fine K75s; myself and Red Pony at the Cross Roads of Time, GMR 2001.

http://scumshine.smugmug.com/photos/50174388_y5bkS-O.jpg

Red Pony myself & Barb Watson off Hwy 9 near Allison, AR, 2002

http://scumshine.smugmug.com/photos/50174390_Po6Pf-O.jpg

Same place & date as above, different view.

http://scumshine.smugmug.com/photos/50174389_GCdja-O.jpg

Somewhere in Arkansas 2002, with Barb, Helen Two Wheels and John Blatz. Note the signs in the shop windows, PS'd by Eric Seaberg. Zig up!

Hope you can add these photos to Red Pony's history. I never met Garth but everyone I've met who knew him spoke very highly of him, sorry we never got to meet but we shared one fantastic bike and that's something for sure.

All the best to Friends of Garth, Red Pony and friends..."Red Ponies blazing across the plains!"

Earle Davidson (MOA# 90514)

[BEinIN]

Hi Earle,
Thanks for the pictures. I still have the Red Pony, it is in the garage keeping good company with the other beemers. Haven't ridden it much since Garth died. Too much to do with rebuilding the raffle bikes and embracing life as we now know it.
However, I do plan on getting Red back on the road in the near future. All the best and I hope to meet you someday.

[Colt03]

Bill,

Just want you to know that we still talk good things about Garth.

We miss him dearly as I am sure you do.

Thanks for the special prize bike.

Craig

[iRene]

Garth's passing cast a long shadow over New England, and he is still remembered fondly and often at
Yankee Beemer events.

He represented the best of what we had hoped for in our future.

And every year I hope to win the Garth bike that the MOA Foundation raffles. :thumb