Richard Paul Bowles

I was incredibly sad to discover Mr. Richard´s passing. He would come every Tuesday to the restaurant where I work, sit at the bar, & order a cup of lentil soup, Mythos beer, & a meal to take home with him. I had a lot of conversations with him during his weekly visits over the past 2-3 years. He was always very kind to me, asking about trips I was going on & about work. We talked about holidays, his family, his dogs, his time in the military. It was usually slow when he would come in between the lunch & dinner rushes, but he was always so patient when I had other customers to take care of. The phone would ring or a customer would walk in to interrupt our conversation, but we´d always pick right back up wherever we left off. He never failed to make sure to tell me bye. He´d wait at the door if I was running around & give me a wave before leaving. He always tipped me so generously & it was only for no reason at all but because he was so kind-hearted. He had no expectations. He was so patient & sweet. It would make me tear up. He stopped coming in sometime in November. I wish I could have had a chance to tell him bye one last time.

I had the privilege of working with Richard Bowles for more than 20 years, and he was one of those coworkers who leaves a lasting imprint long after the meetings end. He was smart, quick-witted, and brought a sharp humor that everyone recognized and appreciated.

His wit was especially memorable in our DBA team meetings. If one ever ended without a clever remark from Richard, someone would inevitably say that something felt "off," and we would all laugh, knowing exactly why.

I truly enjoyed the many birthdays and holiday lunch outings with our team, where Richard´s witty remarks and dry humor were always part of what made those gatherings special.

I retired four years before Richard did, and when he retired at the end of 2024, I was happy knowing he had finally reached that milestone. I regret not reaching out afterward to wish him a happy retirement. I was deeply surprised and saddened when his nephew contacted me to share the news of his passing, and I felt profound sadness that Richard did not have more time to enjoy the retirement he so clearly earned.

When I informed Richard´s former coworkers of his passing, many expressed the same disbelief and sadness that I felt.

He was a colleague I genuinely enjoyed working alongside, and he will be remembered fondly for both his intelligence and the humor he brought into our workdays.

Here´s some pictures of the DBA team from 2016 to 2019 with Richard.

Richard was a very good friend - and I worked with him for over 20 years. He had a great sense of humor - and will be missed terribly by all of his friends. He talked about his family often - and I know how much he loved them. I will always remember the lunches we had at D'Angelos and Walk-on's and many other places. It always felt like we were working because I would ask questions - and he would explain database concepts to me. I learned so much from him!

When we weren't discussing work - we talked about what was wrong with the world. He was one year younger than me - so I guess we could relate to the same things. Two people that grew up in the 60's.

He never had an opportunity to meet my wife or kids - and that is regrettable. I would have liked them to have met one of the best friends that I will ever have.

Thank you, Richard - for being a good friend to me - to the Pharmacy department - and to all of the DBA's on Rob's team. You won't be forgotten!