A Fulton man who was struck by a vehicle while cycling in Florida last week has died there.
Paul Langewisch, 69, formerly president of Bank Star One, suffered severe head injuries and died Monday at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida. He and his sister Ruth Salek, her husband John and several of their Crystal Lake, Illinois, neighbors were there on vacation.
"We were at Vero Beach and had rented a house on the beach, and he was having a great time," Ruth Salek said of her brother.
According to Sgt. Mark G. Wysocky of the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident was reported at 3:04 p.m. Friday on State Road A1A just north of Turtle Beach Road. Langewisch was traveling south in a designated bike lane when he was struck by a 2009 Volvo, also traveling south, driven by Henry Glass, 75, of Vero Beach. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Wysocky said.
"We're all in shock," Ruth Salek said. "We're all devastated. We're trying to work through this and understand it."
Langewisch was born April 18, 1947, in Marshall to Elmer and Emma Kiehl Langewisch. His mother died Sept. 11, 2015, at the age of 95. Langewisch is survived by two daughters, Kristin Abboud and Amie Gibler, several grandchildren, and his sister.
"He was the one who tried to take care of everything," Salek said of her brother. "He had a great heart."
Arrangements are being made through Campbell-Lewis Funeral Home in Marshall and are being finalized. He will be buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Blackburn.
Friends remember
Joseph C. Stewart Jr., chief executive officer for Bank Star One, said Langewisch was their former bank president.
"Paul served Bank Star One as president for approximately four years. From there he went to Midwest Independent Bank in Jefferson City," Stewart said. "We want to express our sympathy to his family on his passing."
David McDaniel of Century 21 McDaniel Realty said he and Langewisch were previously work mates at Bank Star One.
"He was a member of the Lutheran church and very community-minded," McDaniel said. "I worked with him at Bank Star One, and when he left, we remained friends and ate lunch together about once a month."
Fellow former banker Tom Harris, now retired from Callaway Bank, remembers Langewisch with fondness. "A great guy, sharp banker and a wonderful community man," he said. "A good man."
Langewisch's family home was in Blackburn where he'll be buried, according to Pastor David Mueller of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulton. Mueller said Langewisch joined the church shortly after he moved to Fulton.
"He was our church treasurer for a couple of years and was pretty faithful in his attendance," Mueller said. "I know that he loved his daughters and granddaughters quite a lot and was looking forward to spending more time with them. Quite a few people have mentioned they're going to miss him."
Langewisch also was a former Fulton Rotary Club member.
"He retired from Rotary about the same time he retired from the bank," club president Mary Ann Beahon said. "He loved to ride his bicycle. He used to bicycle out on (Route) HH constantly. And he loved his fried chicken. And he loved Mizzou. He and my husband used to talk about the teams all the time."
Another friend remembered Langewisch's passion for the football and basketball teams at the University of Missouri.
"We were part of a group that had season tickets and we went to a lot of games together," said Bruce Hackmann, who is economic development director at the Callaway Chamber of Commerce. "He embraced the Fulton community and he was a Chamber Ambassador. He was active and involved and we're going to miss him."
Hackmann also said Langewisch's love for cycling was notable.
"He was an avid hunter, but he loved to ride his bike," he said of Langewisch. "He rode his bike very diligently and was very dedicated to that."
Hackmann added Langewisch went on vacation to Florida about three weeks ago, noting "One of the last (Facebook) posts we got from him was a picture of him with his feet propped up at the beach, and he said 'Life is good.'"