Windermere community mourning death of Doug Bowman

Doug Bowman felt such a passion for the game of tennis that he wanted to make sure all the children in the town of Windermere had the opportunity to learn and love the sport as much as he did.

Bowman — a 20-year volunteer with the town’s Parks & Recreation Committee and the Tennis Subcommittee and the person in charge of Windermere’s tennis camps — died July 2 at the age of 59.

Many folks in the town shared their condolences on Facebook after learning about the Windermere resident’s sudden death, including several former and current town council members.

“So heartbreaking,” Council Member Mandy David wrote. “Doug was a major part of this committee and will be deeply missed.”

“His dedication to this committee and the town was admirable,” wrote former Council Member Chris Sapp.

Friends and colleagues described Bowman as dedicated, generous, passionate and focused.

“Doug was a great guy,” said Nora Brophy, who has served on the Parks & Recreation Committee since 2009. “Doug was one of those guys — he always showed up. Every meeting, every event, Doug was always there. He always did the right thing. … He was passionate about kids learning how to play tennis. Het set up the whole tennis program. … Just about every kid growing up in Windermere grew up taking tennis lessons at the Main Street courts.”

The town is holding a memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Windermere Town Hall. Plans are also being made to rename the community tennis courts to Bowman Courts.

“We are heartbroken at the passing of our dear friend and longtime member of Parks & Recreation Doug Bowman,” Windermere officials shared on the town’s Facebook page. “Doug was a wonderful, generous man who was devoted to our town, our parks and especially our tennis program.”

Tracy Mitchell also joined the Parks & Recreation Committee in 2003, and she and Bowman enjoyed a close 20-year friendship.

“He was just the most fantastic guy,” she said. “He was always there. I run the Halloween festival, and if things would get chaotic, I could look at him and he always had this quirky little smile like, ‘It’s fine, what do you need?’”

Mitchell said Bowman was like a brother to her.

“He was just a great friend; I’m going to miss him,” she said. “I can’t say enough about him. It’s such a loss to the town. We worked on so many projects in the town. He was just always there; he was the guy who was always there. We just became really good friends.

“(His death) was so sudden; I think that’s what’s so hard,” Mitchell said. “It’s been difficult for all of us. He was just a big part of this town. He was the ultimate good guy.”

Mitchell said Bowman made a big deal about getting tennis incorporated into the town’s recreation programs and he was super smart on the subject.

The love of tennis ran in the family, as Bowman’s older brother, Robert “Buddy” Bowman, also played. Tragedy struck when Doug Bowman was 8 and a tennis ball severely damaged his left eye — but he never let it stop him from excelling at the sport.

“He always wanted to be a tennis player, and he did (become one),” Buddy Bowman said. “He became a very good 4.5 player. … An open-type player, a college player, like myself, would be a 5.0 or above. But Doug got to 4.5 with one eye. He never used that as a reason to not play, he didn’t use it as an excuse, he just played with one eye.”

Doug Bowman was playing tennis just before his death, Brophy said. Buddy Bowman said his brother died of heart complications.

Doug Blackford Bowman was born Nov. 30, 1963, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Robert L. and Charlotte S. Bowman. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Louisiana State University and a master’s degree at Cornell University. In the early 1990s, he managed the Little Rock Club event center; this year he marked 25 years of service at Wyndham Corporate in Orlando.

He was an active member of the United States Tennis Association and participated in many adult team tennis activities. He won the 2020 Pro Am Del Ray annual event in Florida.

In addition to his brother, of Little Rock, Arkansas, Doug Bowman is survived by a sister, Charlotte Bowman Murphy, North Little Rock, Arkansas; an aunt, Sandy Jones (Eugene); three nephews; five great-nephews; and a great-niece.

A celebration of life was planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, in Little Rock.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Doug Bowman’s beloved Shar Peis, memorial donations can be made to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando at bit.ly/44Awgyq.