Tulsa World

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Geologist was family's quiet role model

by: JENNIE LLOYD World Staff Writer
Friday, June 12, 2009
6/12/2009 4:28:39 AM

The oldest of seven children, Matthew Edmonds was his family's role model and hero.

He was smart and determined, his younger sister, Hannah Good, said Thursday.

Even his cycling wore off on some of his siblings.

After he had mountain biked and road-raced for 13 years, Edmonds' younger brothers Gabriel and Andrew jumped on bikes, too.

Edmonds, a "gentle and loving" geologist who grew up with rocks in his pockets, died Tuesday from traumatic injuries after a sport utility vehicle veered off Oklahoma 51 near Sand Springs and crashed into him and two other cyclists. He was 34.

A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at Living Word Christian Center River Valley in Alma, Ark.

Edmonds was born March 15, 1975, to Monica and Dale Edmonds in Redondo Beach, Calif.

But his father longed to live in the woods, and he drove into the middle of the country until his car broke down in Arkansas.

"He was all excited when he called my mom," Good laughed. "He said there was woods in the town and there was honeysuckle!"

So the family moved to Arkansas, and Edmonds graduated from Van Buren, Ark., High School. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in geology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

He was laid off this spring from his job as a geologist for Samson Investment Co., an oil production and exploration company with headquarters in Tulsa.

"He was sad when he lost his job," Good said. "It was more than just a paycheck for him."

Over the last few months, Edmonds combed the Internet for jobs in Tulsa. He also continued his tough training sessions daily with members of his Bicycles of Tulsa amateur competitive racing team.

"He always had a lot of energy, and you couldn't help but love him," said Carmody Sloan, Edmonds' girlfriend of more than a year. "He was always active, and it was infectious."

"He lived for cycling and everything about bikes," Sloan said.

Friend and teammate Mike Farlow said Edmonds was one of the strongest cyclists on the team. He was an "excellent climber and strong endurance rider."

"The thing I remember most, I guess, is his laugh," Good said. "It was a quiet, shy-person laugh, and his eyes were always smiling."

World staff writer Deon Hampton contributed to this story.

Jennie Lloyd 581-8347
jennie.lloyd@tulsaworld.com

Associate Images:

LOVED TO WORK, LOVED TO PLAY
Matthew Edmonds: Geology was his vocation, but cycling was his avocation. His girlfriend, Carmody Sloan, said: "He was always active, and it was infectious. He lived for cycling and everything about bikes."

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