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Dick Bowers, Former USF Athletics Director, Dead at 77

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 29, 2007

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TAMPA - Richard "Dick" Bowers, whose leadership helped to build the athletic programs at the University of South Florida during their formative years and who threw himself into charitable endeavors since then, died unexpectedly this morning. He was 77 years old and he died with his wife of 48 years and two children at his side.

Bowers of Temple Terrace was athletics director at USF from 1963 through 1982, but later made a name in the community as an instrumental fundraiser for several area charities. Most prominent among them is the Gold Shield Foundation, which raises money for families of fallen police officers and firefighters in seven West Central Florida counties.

The cause of death was an aneurism, said Bowers' son, Rick. It happened at home. When paramedics arrived, Bowers was unresponsive. They rushed him to University Community Hospital, where doctors were able to re-establish a pulse, but ultimately could not save him, his son said.

"His life was full," Rick Bowers said this afternoon. "He enjoyed playing golf and he went to all the sporting events around town. He helped start the USF football team 11 years ago and he went to all those football games."

Bowers' widow, Madge, said, "He was like the guy on the white horse. He was fantastic, a total southern gentleman. He was the best husband and the best father ever. He was just a marvelous person. He really cared more about everybody else than himself.

"He had a favorite quote: 'You can do an awful lot of good in the world if you don't care who gets the credit,' and Dick never wanted credit for anything."

Gold Shield Executive Director Joe Voskerichian said the news of Bowers' death was devastating.
"We lost a great friend," Voskerichian said just three hours after hearing of the sudden death of his friend of some 30 years. "He was a great friend to the community and to me, Gold Shield and the university.

"You wouldn't want any more of friend than him," he said, choking back tears. "He will be dearly, dearly missed."

Voskerichian met Bowers when Bowers was athletics director at USF and Voskerichian was collegiate umpire and basketball referee.

The two remained close after their respective careers ended and both threw their efforts into local charities. Bowers, president emeritus of Gold Shield, and Voskerichian were charter members and among the first slate of officers of the foundation.

"Dick and I went to the funeral of a friend just this past Monday," Voskerichian said. "We talked two to three times a day." The two last spoke late Wednesday about the Gold Shield Foundation's annual fundraiser, and Bowers was excited about booking Joe Girardi, newly hired manager of the New York Yankees, as the keynote speaker.

Besides his wife and son, Bowers is survived by his daughter, Delisa; two grandchildren, Casey and Carissa Alfonso; and his sisters, Alberta Frank and Kathryn Henry.

Bowers was a retired U.S. Army captain and graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from the University of Tennessee. He received his doctoral degree in education from Vanderbilt-Peabody College.

He taught at King College in Bristol, Tenn., where he met his wife, and both traveled to Burma to teach at the University of Rangoon on a Fulbright scholarship. He then taught at Shepherd College, in Shepherdstown, W.Va., before moving to Connecticut to teach at Central Connecticut State University.

In 1963, Bowers moved to Tampa, where he assumed the USF athletics director position and held it for 19 years. He resigned that post to become the director of development in the university's college of business, a position he held until his retirement four years ago.

But retirement for Bowers was anything but idle. He became the director of development at the Museum of Science and Industry and also assumed the leadership role in the Gold Shield Foundation.

In lieu of flowers, mourners are asked by the family to send donations to either the Gold Shield Foundation or the Richard T. Bowers Scholarship at USF's College of Business.

Richard "Dick" Bowers
Born: Aug. 8, 1930 in Nashville, Tenn.
Died: Nov. 29, 2007, in Tampa.
Survivors: Wife of 48 years, Madge; daughter, Delisa; son, Rick.
Funeral arrangements: A viewing is scheduled at Blount & Curry Funeral Home Terrace Oaks Chapel, 12690 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace from 5-8 p.m. Sunday. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at the Temple Terrace United Methodist Church, 5030 E. Busch Blvd.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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