Velda Mapelli was vibrant and a downhill skier

Published 12:39 pm Thursday, May 13, 2010

(EDITOR’S NOTE: A long-time friend of Velda K. Mapelli, who died after she was hit by a bicyclist on the Cedar River Trail, wrote this letter to Mayor Denis Law. It was edited for length.)

While I live in Texas, I cherished the air-racing friendship I had with Velda Mapelli for the past 40 years. I had made plans to fly my plane out and visit her this June. As you know, that friendship was abruptly ended as she was killed by a cyclist while walking on a trail. I also have read that you were hit by another cyclist as you walked that trail to pay your respects.

I was stunned to hear the extent of my friend’s injuries. If the trail speed limit is 15 mph, I wonder how fast the cyclist had to be going to break Velda’s skull, pelvis, ribs and collarbone. Much has been made of my vibrant friend’s age and yet, the cyclist has not even been named. As my friend’s awareness, hearing and reactions solely due to her age have been pilloried – even though she went downhill skiing again this past season.

Nothing has been said about the condition of the cyclist.

Velda is the kind of person who had everything organized – including her do-not-resuscitate directive – typed and in triplicate when it was needed. She is no longer here to direct her affairs or to defend her reputation, so I feel compelled to help speak on her behalf. I know her daughter, my contemporary, is capable of defending her mother but stunned grief would only be compounded to address these issues at this time.

I ask that you too become an advocate for Velda and pursue appropriate investigations to this vehicular manslaughter – involuntary though it may have been – situation.

Pat Keefer

World Air Race Gold Medalist