BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Dave Whittingham, an industry veteran who managed bike shops, developed products and worked for several brands in the Boulder area, died Monday of complications from a bicycle accident. He was 67.
Over his long career Whittingham worked in marketing for Catalyst Communication, SmartEtailing, Inside Communications, Maverick Bicycles and Wheels Manufacturing. He also had a sideline making trophies and retail displays, including awards for the Colorado NICA league, the BPSA Lifetime Achievement Awards and retail displays for Stages Cycling and other brands, as well as custom retail displays for bike shops and other projects outside the bike industry.
In the 1970s Whittingham managed The Spoke, a now legendary bike shop in Boulder. That's when he met Dave Batka, who later founded Wheels Manufacturing. The two were friends for about 40 years and Whittingham did marketing for Wheels for about the last ten years. "We were friends for a long time and I’ll miss him. He was my first boss," Batka said.
Whittingham enjoyed making custom awards. Each of the BPSA Lifetime Achievement Awards that have been bestowed were tailored for their recipients, said Ray Keener, the BPSA's executive director.
"He wouldn't do generic awards, he had to make each one special," Keener said.
The season-end awards he made for the Colorado NICA league were also each one of a kind, said Kate Rau, who runs the league. Whittingham had done the awards since the league's inception 9 years ago.
"That was just Dave, he had to make each one special," said Rau. "He was an amazing individual, very understated and quiet, but very creative and supportive."
According to friends, Whittingham had a solo bike accident while on a road ride in Boulder County on July 20. He suffered a brain injury and never regained consciousness.
Whittingham had three children and one grandchild. Details on a memorial service were unavailable Tuesday.
