Maxwell David Wheeler, 34, of Bellevue, Washington, passed away on July 8, 2023, in a car crash in Oregon along with his beloved dog, Ripley. Max was born in Jackson, Wyoming, on April 18, 1989, to Henry Wheeler and Andrea Kinzey-Wheeler. He soon moved with his parents and older sister, Natasha Wheeler, to Nederland, Colorado, where he was an energetic and loved part of the community, which he considered to be part of his family.
He was a competitive mountain biker, alpine, and cross-country skier (state-qualified ski meister), and member of several high school and club teams. He was also a Boy Scout, piano player, participant in many school activities, and inventor, constantly dreaming up and drawing out new problem-solving ideas.
Whenever possible, Max chose a bicycle as his primary mode of transportation. In high school, he and his best friend started a bike repair business, which doubled as space to design performance rides from spare parts. At age 15, he took 4th place overall at the Leadville 50 bike race, competing against seasoned riders above 10,000 feet elevation. And, when he eventually moved to the Pacific Northwest, he regularly participated in the Seattle-to-Portland annual ride.
Max loved music. He went to concerts, analyzed underground hip-hop lyrics, and played alto saxophone in the high school band. When he learned to play piano at age six, he never stopped running his fingers over the keys. Whenever he walked into a room with an open piano bench, he would sit down to bring the room alive with his playing.
Max attended Nederland schools and Northern Arizona University, receiving a B.S. in mechanical engineering. He then held a prestigious internship at Ruger, guided zip-line tours in Alaska, worked on a zip-line construction crew, and joined a lab at the University of Washington, where he met his spouse, Samantha Ann Byrnes. Throughout his career, Max contributed to several cutting-edge start-ups and built everything from diagnostic tests for infectious diseases to radio hardware that traveled to the moon.
Max also thrived in nature, and he shared that connection with his spouse. Max and Sam were together for 10 years and were just shy of celebrating their five-year wedding anniversary. Throughout their time together, Max and Sam traveled around the world exploring whenever they could. They also spent countless days near home biking and hiking with Ripley, their deeply loved, and spoiled dog of six years.
On one of their first dates, Max asked Sam the classic early relationship question, “How good is your tree biology?” This led to a highly technical discussion which turned into a common theme throughout their relationship. That discussion came full circle when they planted a cedar tree at their wedding.
That tree now lives in the yard of the home they shared and it also gave their son his name, Cedar John Wheeler born March 21, 2023. Max was an amazing father who fiercely loved his son and was so proud to watch his little human grow and explore the world.
Max was always on the go. He was most often seen wearing shorts and crocs, regardless of the weather, with a craft brew of coffee or beer in his hand. He loved his friends, family, and living life to its fullest. Traveling, exquisite food, sailing, caving, motorcycles, 3D-printing, building wood furniture, designing innovative solutions, telling stories, and explaining mechanical concepts are only a fraction of what he was passionate about.
Throughout his life, he excelled in his pursuits, and most importantly, connected with everyone he met. Whether you met Max once, or were a life-long friend, he made a lasting impact and made you feel seen and loved.
Max was a wonderful man whose impact will be felt forever by his community. His adventurous spirit, sharp intellect, limitless potential to learn new things, and ability to bring a smile to someone’s face was unparalleled.
A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, September 28, 2023, from 6 - 8 p.m. at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery in Woodinville, Washington.
