In Memory of Wiel Penders..

Dear family and friends of Wiel Penders,

It’s unfathomable to be sitting down to write these details and make this request. On behalf of the Penders Family, our hearts are broken to share that Wiel passed away late Thursday afternoon from injuries sustained during a tragic motorcycle accident. His precious girlfriend Christy was with him and is currently fighting for her life, and we believe with everything in our power that her body, heart, mind, and spirit can be made whole again. Wiel loved her beyond words.

This extraordinary loss comes on the heels of Wiel’s mother losing her battle with cancer just three weeks ago, leaving the family gutted. Wiel was looking forward to watching his daughter Sara cross the stage as she graduates from high school in a couple weeks and celebrating daughter Emma’s success having just conquered her freshman year at Cal Poly University. A season of so much joy now overwhelmed with sadness.

With no known Will or life insurance and the strong desire to honor Wiel through a celebration of life for his family, daughters, and friends to process we’re reaching out to you, his beloved community, to graciously ask for support. If you’re able and your heart feels compelled to give, we thank you for a financial gift of any size. Funds will be used to cover the costs of a memorial for Wiel, and we’ll be sure to update this GoFundMe with details of the service once a date has been set.

With Wiel’s daughters as his center of pride and cherished legacy, any remaining funds generously gifted will go to support their education which Wiel was supremely proud of their pursuit of. In the Fall, Emma (19) will start her second-year tracking toward an Engineering degree and Sara (18) will be heading to Colorado State to study Kinesiology.

We extend love to you as you take in this difficult information and appreciate your consideration. Please also Share this post and offer joyful stories of Wiel as well. The healing journey will be long, and we must support one another through.

Warm regards,

Dawn, Kristin, Jill and Michelle