Carl Dean Muffley
Carl Dean Muffley, 63, lost his battle from complications of COVID-19 on Oct. 2, 2020.
He is survived by his mother: Mary (Beatty) Muffley, Plymouth; a brother: Eric (Lisa) Muffley, Warsaw; a sister: Anne (Doug) Baker, Plymouth; daughters: Lynne (Nathan) Dubbeld, Warsaw; Erin Muffley (Jon Stigler), Plymouth; and Kathryn Muffley, Plymouth; six grandchildren: Jane, Allison, Laci, Andrew, Ella, and John; along with special companion Rhonda (Bernero) Schuh. He was preceded in death by his father: Frank Muffley.
He was a truck driver for Forward Air in South Bend. His life revolved around the motorsports world from a very young age. Greatly influenced by his father, he was able to fix anything. He put together his first VW motor at age four. He was known for riding wheelies down Lake Avenue and delivering newspapers on his unicycle. He began racing flat track motorcycles at age 14 in the Wabash Cannonball MC. At age 16, he rode a Harley Davidson XR750 to earn enough points at Santa Fe Speedway in Chicago to earn his professional card.
He won the TT Flat Track State Championship while riding a Triumph in 1978 to 1979. He raced nationally in the AMA Superbike and WERA endurance road race circuit in the 1980s. His children grew up watching him race street stocks locally and enjoyed late night endurance races at Avilla, New Paris, Salem, Anderson, Hartford, Kalamazoo, and Winchester tracks. Throughout his life, his racing competitors became very good friends.
He enjoyed his daily conversations at local restaurants with friends and Sunday breakfasts with his daughters and grandchildren. He was still riding and racing vintage flat track motorcycles at the Plymouth Speedway and half mile tracks in Ohio and Michigan. “Behind Blue Eyes” will be missed greatly by family and friends.
In honoring the family requests, cremation has taken place. A memorial celebration of life visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Deaton-Clemens Van Gilder Funeral Home, 300 W. Madison St., Plymouth, IN 46563.