|
|
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
Brian Bowen died Tuesday morning after a long, brave battle with a brain tumor. He was 50 years old, the husband of Kellie Bowen and father of Mallory Bowen.
Visitations will be Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon at Perry United Methodist Church. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Bowen, who was elected to the Perry Council in Nov. 2005, served from Jan., 2006 until he retired from his post in April, 2008. He was chairman of the Community Economic Development Committee (2006 – 2008); a member of the Parks and Recreation Oversight Committee , the Administrative and Finance Oversight Committee , and the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee .
He was a Rotarian, a member of Perry United Methodist Church, and served on the board of trustees of The Westfield Schools.
In addition to being a civic leader, Bowen had a remarkable career as an international entrepreneur, and once made the front page of the Wall Street Journal in a story about his successful effort to bring cell phone service to Taskent, Uzbekistan. The WSJ called the founding of his company Uzdonrobita, still the largest mobile phone operator in Uzbekistan, “one of the most unusual business stories to emerge from the former Soviet Union.”
Perry attorney Rob Tuggle, who was a good friend of Bowen’s and served as attorney for the venture in Uzbekistan, explained that when the Soviet Union fell, Bowen, and his partners in the cell phone company, took their business to Tashkent, and that Bowen, a CPA with a degree from Emory University, became fluent in Russian and spent many months in Uzbekistan working on the rapidly growing business. The company, which Bowen’s company eventually sold to Uzbek owners, was making over $50 million in annual revenues by 1996 and employed a staff of over 200, with 7,000 subscribers. Today, it is still going strong and has over 250,000 subscribers.
“He was very astute and hardworking,” Tuggle said. “He was a success at any business he entered, and he always let his Christian values guide his work.”
Bowen, who grew up in Dooly County and attended Fullington Academy, had many friends, and as local attorney Billy Jerles put it, “loved to laugh and have fun.”
“Brian was a real friend, a wonderful father, a good public person,” Jerles said, “ and I’m going to miss him.”
Danny Evans a long time friend to Bowen said, “Brian was a great friend. We will all miss his sense of humor. I was very lucky to be a close friend of Brian’s and met many interesting people through his international dealings. I’m so grateful I talked to him yesterday. He will be dearly missed by all”
A full obituary will be on The Houston Home Journal website at www.hhjnews.com
|
|
|
|
|