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Bowden honored at Celebration of Life
Fourteen former board chairs, three former heads of school, faculty emeriti and hundreds of Dan Leslie Bowden devotees, family, friends and colleagues turned out to honor the legendary teacher of English at a Celebration of Life Oct. 15 at the Lewis Family Auditorium. Bowden, who died Sept. 14 at 89, was remembered with tears, laughter, poetry, music and many, many stories.
Head of School Penny Townsend opened the event with an emotional welcome. She described Bowden, who spent 63 years at Ransom Everglades after his arrival in 1955, as "the most significant figure in the school's first century."
"No one loved the school more than Dan Leslie Bowden, and today we will return some of that love," she said. "He was connected to every part of the school. He was the very fabric of the school."
Three former Bowden students, current board chair Andrew L. Ansin '81, trustee and former board chair Jeffrey Miller '79 and Joseph Annis '60, offered personal reflections that highlighted Bowden's huge heart for his students and endearing eccentricities. Miller recalled Bowden's perfect enunciation and frequent and lengthy voice mail messages that "would use up about 50 percent of my phone's memory." Annis remembered that Bowden "had an elegance about him. He was quite proper – even when I was in trouble."
Ansin recalled that, during Bowden's 87th birthday party in June 2016 at Ransom Everglades, "there were millionaires and billionaires in attendance" but Bowden was "the wealthiest in the room ... People came solely for the chance to spend time with [him]."
Miller remembered Bowden's abiding concern that the humanities and arts remain foundational at Ransom Everglades. It was that concern that drove Miller to create the Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities, which affords select rising seniors the opportunity to pursue summer studies in the humanities. Miller urged those in attendance to make a gift to the endowment.
Miller also thanked the man he called "my teacher, my mentor, my confidante and my friend," expressing gratitude "for a mutual love and respect that I will always cherish."
Bowden's grandnephew Thomas Bowden offered comments that included warm thank yous to many in the Ransom Everglades community. "You visited," he said. "You called; you sent emails. He appreciated you all."
Bowden, who was accompanied by family members Patricia Bowden, Cindy Bowden Nichols, and partner Troy Mann, recalled learning to love reading from his Uncle Dan, who gave him books during every visit. He recalled the slightly awkward times when his uncle would break into song in public, unconcerned about the reaction around him.
"Life for him was a performance, a daily interaction with an audience," he said. "He never met a stranger. He put a smile on every face. When he grabbed your hand and looked you in the eye, you felt significant ... He had that impact on everyone he met."
The Celebration of Life, which took place three weeks after Bowden was laid to rest near his family's home in Columbus, Ga., drew dozens of significant figures from RE's history. Faculty Emeritus Catherine "Kitty" Proenza read Ecclasiastes 3:1-8 and was joined by many fellow Faculty Emeriti: Buzzie Borona-Polson, Jane Dolkart, Jerry Exum, Susan Felz, Ann Goesel, George Kasyan, Barbara Lester, Kenia Rebozo, Mike Stokes and Marian Turk.
Former Heads of School Ellen Moceri, Jim Young and Judy Chamberlain returned for the event. Former board chairs Blanche August, Peter Bermont, Carlos de la Cruz, Jr., Barbara Havenick, William Holly '86, Harold Kendall, Dick Lampen, Jeff Roberts, Ghislain Gouraige, Rose Ellen Greene, Eric Mendelson, Rudy Prio Touzet '76 and Bob Stone attended.
The crowd was thick with friends and fans from multiple generations.
Many RE students assisted. Some acted as ushers. Strings students provided pre-event music. Isa Peña '19, a 2018 Bowden fellow, sang one of Bowden's favorite Broadway tunes, "The Music That Makes Me Dance." Others helped sing "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" and "Amazing Grace." The school is planning another event to honor Bowden, a service of remembrance, during Alumni Weekend in the spring.
Annis recalled a story about Bowden that appeared in the Miami Herald in the 1980s. In that story, Bowden rued the fact that he never had children of his own to carry on his legacy. "Mr. Bowden, you have thousands of children," Annis said, his voice quivering with emotion. "They are the students you taught, that you raised to a higher standard. We are here today because of you ... We are your children."
Click here to view the video recording of the Celebration of Life.
Photo Gallery
"No one loved the school more than Dan Leslie Bowden, and today we will return some of that love," she said. "He was connected to every part of the school. He was the very fabric of the school."
Three former Bowden students, current board chair Andrew L. Ansin '81, trustee and former board chair Jeffrey Miller '79 and Joseph Annis '60, offered personal reflections that highlighted Bowden's huge heart for his students and endearing eccentricities. Miller recalled Bowden's perfect enunciation and frequent and lengthy voice mail messages that "would use up about 50 percent of my phone's memory." Annis remembered that Bowden "had an elegance about him. He was quite proper – even when I was in trouble."
Ansin recalled that, during Bowden's 87th birthday party in June 2016 at Ransom Everglades, "there were millionaires and billionaires in attendance" but Bowden was "the wealthiest in the room ... People came solely for the chance to spend time with [him]."
Miller remembered Bowden's abiding concern that the humanities and arts remain foundational at Ransom Everglades. It was that concern that drove Miller to create the Dan Leslie Bowden Endowment in the Humanities, which affords select rising seniors the opportunity to pursue summer studies in the humanities. Miller urged those in attendance to make a gift to the endowment.
Miller also thanked the man he called "my teacher, my mentor, my confidante and my friend," expressing gratitude "for a mutual love and respect that I will always cherish."
Bowden's grandnephew Thomas Bowden offered comments that included warm thank yous to many in the Ransom Everglades community. "You visited," he said. "You called; you sent emails. He appreciated you all."
Bowden, who was accompanied by family members Patricia Bowden, Cindy Bowden Nichols, and partner Troy Mann, recalled learning to love reading from his Uncle Dan, who gave him books during every visit. He recalled the slightly awkward times when his uncle would break into song in public, unconcerned about the reaction around him.
"Life for him was a performance, a daily interaction with an audience," he said. "He never met a stranger. He put a smile on every face. When he grabbed your hand and looked you in the eye, you felt significant ... He had that impact on everyone he met."
The Celebration of Life, which took place three weeks after Bowden was laid to rest near his family's home in Columbus, Ga., drew dozens of significant figures from RE's history. Faculty Emeritus Catherine "Kitty" Proenza read Ecclasiastes 3:1-8 and was joined by many fellow Faculty Emeriti: Buzzie Borona-Polson, Jane Dolkart, Jerry Exum, Susan Felz, Ann Goesel, George Kasyan, Barbara Lester, Kenia Rebozo, Mike Stokes and Marian Turk.
Former Heads of School Ellen Moceri, Jim Young and Judy Chamberlain returned for the event. Former board chairs Blanche August, Peter Bermont, Carlos de la Cruz, Jr., Barbara Havenick, William Holly '86, Harold Kendall, Dick Lampen, Jeff Roberts, Ghislain Gouraige, Rose Ellen Greene, Eric Mendelson, Rudy Prio Touzet '76 and Bob Stone attended.
The crowd was thick with friends and fans from multiple generations.
Many RE students assisted. Some acted as ushers. Strings students provided pre-event music. Isa Peña '19, a 2018 Bowden fellow, sang one of Bowden's favorite Broadway tunes, "The Music That Makes Me Dance." Others helped sing "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" and "Amazing Grace." The school is planning another event to honor Bowden, a service of remembrance, during Alumni Weekend in the spring.
Annis recalled a story about Bowden that appeared in the Miami Herald in the 1980s. In that story, Bowden rued the fact that he never had children of his own to carry on his legacy. "Mr. Bowden, you have thousands of children," Annis said, his voice quivering with emotion. "They are the students you taught, that you raised to a higher standard. We are here today because of you ... We are your children."
Click here to view the video recording of the Celebration of Life.
Photo Gallery
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Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.