GoFundMe to help Barbara Bowers

Dear Friends of Ron and Barb Bowers,

As all or most of you know, Ron passed away peacefully at home on hospice care on the evening of Monday, March 6, with Barb as his caregiver. Those of us who were privileged to spend time with Ron in his last days saw that although cancer eventually took him, it did not change his essence. Ron was the same sweet, kind, generous, caring, committed and humorous person that he always had been. Several years ago, when I visited Ron on one of his exterior painting jobs, I asked him, "How long do you intend to be doing this?", and he responded "As long as the good lord lets me." As we talked, it became apparent that this was a more a statement of fact and necessity than of religious conviction. Since Ron was self-employed for most of the past thirty years, he didn't have a pension or substantial savings, so he had to keep working as long as he was able to, despite the illnesses of his last few years.

Since Ron was forced to stop painting last fall, his and Barb's only income was from Ron's social security payments. There is unfortunately a lot of truth in the oft-quoted maxim, "you can die on social security, but you can't live on it."

Barb has been left with medical debts of approximately $10,000 that were not covered by insurance. Money is very tight, and Barb is scrambling while trying to scope out what life without Ron will be like. Her own employment, as a tour guide in Ireland, still does not begin again for several months. Those of us who have experienced financial stress know that it is among the worst kinds of stress that one can experience.

Accordingly, I have established this GoFundMe page, with Barb as the beneficiary, hoping to raise $25,000. (Contributions net of GoFundMe's fees and credit card fees will go directly to Barb's bank account.) Its purposes are to allow Barb to satisfy the debts that have accrued in the last months of Ron's life, and to give her a leg up while she starts to negotiate life without Ron.

Barb and Ron have been wonderful and generous friends to so many of us. I hope that you will join me in repaying their goodness and altruism by contributing in this time of need. Thank you in advance.

Sincerely, John Beckerman