Hello Bus Nuts' Members from the Bowyer Family

[DrivingMissLazy]

Hello Members,

My name is Shawna and I am Richard's eldest daughter.  I reside in Florida but am currently in West Virginia with other family members trying to console and provide comfort for my Mother.  We are so very saddened by my Father's passing.  I had a trip planned this coming October to visit my parents and it hurts that I was not here soon enough to see him one more time. 

Every morning since I have been here with my Mother I have looked forward to reading all the email from the members.  It is so nice to read everything that has been posted and I just wanted to let you know that we appreciate everyone's kind words and reflections.  A lot of the postings and comments about him sound so much like my Father...I can tell that many of you have gotten to know him very well!  We know that he loved the Bus Nuts and spent many hours on the computer with all of you.  This was one of his daily and favorite things to do.

I just wanted to let you know that my Mother and the rest of the family appreciates everything that has been said and done on the web site for my Dad.  We all so very thankful that Hilary (my niece) was able to provide the information to you and show us how to access your site so that we can enjoy the responses from the members.

Thank you so much for everything that has been said...it has been so helpful to us and it is wonderful to know that he has touched so many members and that you appreciated all his input to the club.  He truly loved the Bus Nuts!

Respectfully,
Shawna

[Busted Knuckle]

Hello Shawna,

We are also very saddened by the loss of your father. And are also very thankful that Hilary did notify us, and has been providing us pictures of him and his projects. The pictures really help those of us who never met him in person put a face to the man we all came to know so well as DML (Driving Miss Lazy) through the boards, email, and phone calls! I never met him but have spoken with him several times on the phone, and many times through emails. I can't tell you how much I and others have gained from him and his experiences! He was truly a walking encyclopedia of knowledge! There wasn't a day went by since I've known him that he wasn't trying to help someone with some issue on their bus! It is sad that he has left us, but at the same time it is great that he has moved on toward HIS reward for being such a true and dedicated "educator' in our hobby as well as other areas. At least he does not suffer any pain anymore. And even though he is gone from our earthly presence, he will never be gone from our hearts and minds! He will be missed, but never forgotten! We pray that you, your mom, Hilary, and the rest of the family will learn to cope with the physical loss and to be able to celebrate the good times in the memories you have.

Bryce Gaston Jr.
AKA "Busted Knuckle" aka "  BK  "

[kyle4501]

Time will not diminish the loss, but, talking about it will help make it easier to live with.

While his passing is sad, the pictures remind us of the great times. He will be missed, but fondly remembered.

Thank you so much for the correspondence. It makes it easier to find some closure to the chapter that Richard helped make great.

Safe travels.

[Gary LaBombard]

Shawna,
I no longer normally post but your heart read letter just made these ole fingers start to respond today.  The very first Bus Rally my wife and I attended we had the pleasure to meet your Mom & Dad.  He was wearing a shirt exactly like the one I own but with age making my body shape change, it no longer fits.

Dallas & Cat arranged the first Rally we ever attended at Timmonsville, SC that to this day everyone that was at that first rally keeps in touch with each other.  Your Dad took the time to find out every attendee coming there and made name tags for us to wear till we recoginized each by name.  Just this little organization on his part made me apprecaite the kind of person he was from the git-go.  Since that rally I have confered with your Dad many times through email about subjects we both enjoy. Even though he was not much older than I it was hard not to appreciate his wisdom, experience and compassion he always shown for all of us bus nuts and he often reached out and helped us in more things than just words of wisdom.

I am now listening to music I feel just fits my mood this moment and hope to share with you the names of the songs that just fit your dad to a tee.  Seeing the computer screen is difficult for some reason, but you can imagine.  The music I am enjoying listening to this moment dedicated to both your Mom & Dad are sung by the great Marty Robbins. 

"Love Me" by Marty makes me think of what your Dad would of said straight from his heart many, many years ago as a young man to your Mom when he was courting her.

"I Don't Know Why", (I just Do), I can see your dad in this mood perhaps after some kind of lovers bad moment, I can just visualize him on a bench thinking exactly as this song portrays as his love for your Mom was always evident when I first met them both.

"Walking Piece of Heaven", After the above may happened I can see your dad thinking this melody about your Mom and so happy that their love and respect for each other has grown to a new level every day they share.

"Begging to You", Can't your just see your Dad & Mom slow dancing to this song and so grateful this never happened to them right up to your Dad's last breath he took.

"Cigarettes & Coffee Blues", Just fits your Dad in a bouncy foot tapping beat I just know he would enjoy listening to as five of your dads finges intertwined with your Moms like little first love kids.

"He stopped Loving Her Today", Surely a song to make tears so big they can't be held in your eye lids as I know your Mom feels so alone but your Dad is trying each second to let her know, his arms are still around her till they walk together again.

"Don't Worry Bout Me", I am sure he is thinking & saying this as you read this and every waking moment you and your family grieve, I know he loves you all and in his life time has told you in numbers higher than needed in money to bail out wall street!

"I Walk Alone", I can see your dad singing this right this moment above us all as he waits for the only love he has ever known. 

I will be playing some music at a bus rally this next weekend at Kyle's "Non" Bus rally at Palmetto Cove, SC and want you to know each song sung will be for Richard to enjoy with him in my thoughts as I do. 

Shawna, try to come to a bus rally close by you one day with your family and please bring your Mom as well.  Name tags are probably no longer needed though, we have all grown to recognize and enjoy each other over time.  I can recommend the rally held in Delaware which is probably closest to you at this time, You will have tears at this rally but not of sadness, Kathy, Sue Robertta will make sure of it. 

Please remember, anything you or your family need only has to be asked for and not even full global warming can possibly prevent it from being done for you.  Take good care of your family and your Mom for us, it is so good to know you are now going to enjoy visiting with us as your Dad loved to do for many years.

I know I will feel your Dad's presence at Kyle's Rally, Now you know how important your Dad is and was to all of us.

God Bless your family in this moment of grief, We are all very saddened too.

Gary LaBombard

 

[DrivingMissLazy]

Hi everyone...
This is Hilary, Richard's granddaughter. I also wanted to thank you all for your kind words and support during this very difficult time. Losing my Grandpa was very hard on me. He was more like my Dad than anything. I spent A LOT of time with my grandparents and I was really close to him.

I have also enjoyed reading everyone's comments, and like Shawna said, they do sound like him. And to the people he may have been hard on sometimes, don't worry...he was hard on all of us too! That was just his nature and he wanted to make us better as a person, which he did. Someone had written that he was a "walking Encyclopedia", which is VERY TRUE. Not only about buses, but everything else as well. I am very proud of what he had accomplished during his life from growing up on a farm in West Virginia to starting two very successful companies. I would like to include a couple paragraphs from a speech and from his obituary...

"I started International Computer Power in my garage with a government order for four small power converters rated at 2000 watts. On the factory floor now is a power converter with a rating of over 2 million watts. Arguably the largest flywheel power converter in the world with more than enough power to feed 200 homes. I was approached years ago by the owner of a luxury yacht who wanted something that would allow his American manufactured yacht to connect to shore power while visiting foreign ports. We were successful in developing a product to fulfill his needs and have since installed over 300 systems aboard luxury yachts worldwide".

From his obituary, "In high school, he was a member of the National Honor Society, Fire Dept., National Thespians and band. He had received numerous awards and patents for his contributions to the marine and computer industry. He served four years in the Air Force as an Airman 1st Class and received the Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Japan Occupational Medal, Good Service Medal as was part of the 3201st Boat Squadron. He was Honorably Discharged in June 1953, a veteran and a Shriner".

These boards and everyone here really meant a lot to him. He loved talking to everyone. He really did have a wealth of knowledge and loved to share it. That's the way he was. I know he was always talking about upcoming rallies and how he would like to go, it just depended on how he felt. And I think it really bothered him that he just didn't have the energy to drive that far.

I don't mean to go on and on, but I just really wanted everyone to know how important he was in my life and how important you all were in his. Again, thank you all for your wonderful support, comments, thoughts and prayers. He was a great man and will be missed by all.

~Hilary

[David Anderson]

Thanks Shawna and Hilary.  I spoke with Richard a couple of times by phone for specific questions about converting my Eagle.  He was always so helpful and a wealth of knowledge.  I especially remember his upbeat attitude when DML caught fire and burned.  He was so excited that someone got her and attempted to resurrect the bird.  Because of his loss he made us all aware to CHECK THOSE TOE KICK HEATERS.  He was loud and clear about it.    We will all miss his kind and knowledgeable words.

David Anderson
Pleasanton TX.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hello Shawna, Hilery, and all of the Bowyer Family,

I am so glad that you are getting much happiness from reading the responces on the bus boards. The folks here are really respectfull

to others and treat all like family! Richard was no exception! He always kept a watchfull eye out for spam, board help topics, when

heated arguments escalated beyond proper, and most of all, making sure we were all OK... Even on the Moderators board he would

make a post sometimes just to see if we were allright. It is going to be very strange to oversee this bbs without Richard commenting

and offering his input to questions that we have. 

I do hope you will drop in once in a while to say hello. It would be comforting to all of us.

I am not the best writer but, you all are in my prayers. I only hope that your family knows how really larger then life Richard was here.

His legacy will always be a part of this community....

Nick-

[JackConrad]

Shawna and Hilary,
   Hopefully, reading all the post about how much Richard was loved and respected on this bulletin board will help you get through this difficult time.  Richard always encourageds everyone to use Spell Check to make sure they were not posting mis-spelled words. Everytime I hit the SpellCheck button, I think of Richard looking down at smiling at me.  Jack
PS: I have not forgot about making a video of the Train Whistle I got from Richard, we have just been pretty busy and I was under the weather for a couple days. I will try to get to you this weekend.