Mourning the death of Bonnie Culpepper, the crew at Ute Pass Regional Health Service District shared memories of their friend and colleague in a ceremony this month at the Divide fire station.

Culpepper died Oct. 17 in a two-car crash in unincorporated Lake County. After only a year as a part-time emergency medical technician with the district, Culpepper evoked emotions in her colleagues.

“She was an extraordinary soul who touched the lives of every single person she met,” said Kitty Roberts, EMT, speaking during the ceremony March 21. “She managed to connect a special part of herself with each person on our team.”

To honor their friend and colleague, Roberts and the district’s medical providers dedicated the new ambulance, a Med 14, to Culpepper.

“We were taking delivery of a new ambulance and had never dedicated a vehicle to any of our people so I thought that would be a great opportunity to memorialize Bonnie,” said Captain Chad Bauer who took the lead on ordering the ambulance.

Secretly, Bauer negotiated with the manufacturing company in Chehalis, Wash. to add graphics with Culpepper’s name on both sides of the ambulance.

“I flew out with one of the board members to do an inspection on the vehicle,” Bauer said.

Touched by the story of Culpepper, the owner of the graphics company included 50 special stickers with the purchase.

“The stickers had Bonnie’s picture on it, musical notes and the Colorado mountains,” Bauer said.

The stickers tell a story of a woman with an adventurous spirit, one who sparked admiration and maybe a bit of longing.

“Whether that connection was through music, skiing, climbing, dogs, ‘rad’ vans, plants, hiking, exploring, education, farming, food equity, or even something as simple as coffee, she easily built a solid foundation of friendship and trust with each person she knew,” Roberts said at the ceremony.

At the time of her death, Culpepper, 29, who lived in Salida, was taking paramedic certification classes at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville.

“She was a beacon of hope and light in the Salida community where she shared her love for music as an instructor at Coletrain Music Academy,” Roberts said. “Through her teaching, performing, singing, playing, and writing, she spread joy and inspiration to all who crossed her path.”

Culpepper was a character who leaves fond memories, maybe a few chuckles, among the people who knew her.

“Bonnie embraced life with open arms, finding beauty in every moment and taking it all in,” Robert said. “She truly lived brightly in a world where many people just exist.”