AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums About Belize Gone but not forgotten Sir Barry Bowen

We just heard the tragic news that an iconic figure in Belize, Barry Bowen has just died in a plane crash in the Island of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Our Condolences and prayers go out to the Bowen Family for such a tragic loss as well as the family of those that died with him on that fateful flight.

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The Life of Sir Barry Bowen

    Tears have been shed and with certainty many more will continue to fall and many laughs have also been shared in the memory of the late Sir Barry Bowen. A tragedy without a doubt, for Sir Barry was a loving husband, an exemplary father, a business tycoon and an amazing friend. Often seen driving his green tractor around San Pedro Town holding a Belikin cup in hand, donning a straw hat, no shirt, khaki pants and no shoes, Sir Barry was a true San Pedrano. He was also a Belizean, forever working to improve and contribute to the nation's commerce and industry, an accomplishment which garnered him the title of a true knight. Wearing gray coattails, a top hat and spats on his feet, he was officially recognized as such by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II when she knighted him, in December 2007, as an Ordinary Member of the Second Class of Knight Commander of the said Most Distinguished Order (KCMG).

    Barry Mansfield Bowen was born on September 19th, 1945 in Belize City to parents Emilie and Eric Bowen originally from San Ignacio. From a tender age, Barry's drive and ambition was clearly visible as everyone remembers him always striving for the best; never settling for second. Throughout his life, he worked and learned much from his father, who in the 1930's established Crystal Bottling Company, producing aerated Crystal drinks. After completing University, Barry led the Bowen & Bowen Group of Companies with his father. Soon enough, they began distributing the Coca Cola line of products under the name Bowen & Bowen and Barry took over as manager in 1968. In 1971 an extension to the companies was added with the Brewery. Bowen & Bowen continued to grow and so did Barry. Seven years later he assumed full control of the company.

    Barry's love for Ambergris Caye was another thing that grew, after paying visits to the small fishing village. Along with his companion Dixie Summerscales, Barry made the island their home. His sons Kevin, Michael and daughter Shelly (resident of USA) along with her two boys Alexander and Dustin frolicked in the white sandy beaches. Their family was made complete with the addition of baby sister Courtney who today is pursuing an education in the USA. The four men today reside in Belize and work in various branches of the Bowen companies. The love that Barry and Dixie had for each other was confirmed at a lovely beach ceremony, where the couple exchanged wedding vows in December of 2004. The Bowens were a stronghold in the social scene within the community, attending fundraisers, events and fishing tournaments. Cup and cigar in hand, Barry had no hesitation to share a smile or chitchat with his island friends. His love for nature would always place him on his boat, sailing or fishing with his friends. Good times were had, enjoying scrumptious food, thirst quenching drinks and laughter above all.

    Barry would travel to the mainland and continue conducting business. In the 1980's he became the owner of Belize Estates and Company making him the proprietor of 130,000 acres of land, a 150 year old estate and 3,000 acres of Gallon Jug, where Chan Chich Lodge is located. To this day, much of that area has been reserved and remains under protection. The Lodge has been welcoming guests since December 4th, 1988 and has received international recognition in the form of National Geographic, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) who conducted a six month study on water density.

    Barry dabbled in many industries, aside from the ones he is most notably known for: Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Belikin, Lighthouse, Stout, Chan Chich. Employing an estimated workforce of 1,500 individuals, the subsidiaries of the companies include the Crystal Bottling Company which produces juices and purified water; Belize Aquaculture Limited (BAL) which is a state of the art shrimp farm and is also contracted to supply 10 megawatts of power to Belize Electricity Limited for the national grid; Belize Estate and Producers Company Limited, the local agent for Ford vehicles; and Gallon Jug Agro-Industry Limited which produces cattle, lumber, hot sauce, jams and jellies. Barry's business skills were beyond par, his legacy spans across miles.

    His heart was just as big, assisting in every way he could to the development of the country's social aspect. On the island, along with his wife he opened the Island Academy, while in Gallon Jug a school was also begun for the children of his employees, the Bowen & Bowen Group of Companies is listed as a supporter of the Lifeline Foundation, founded by Kim Simplis-Barrow. The island he loved benefited as well, whether it was garbage bins donated or funding for the Boca del Rio Bridge, Barry was also lending a helping hand. For his continued efforts and the fact that he was assisting Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., with runway plans at the time of his death, will also garner him another honor when the San Pedro airstrip is renamed the Barry Bowen Municipal Airstrip (later this year after renovations have been made).

    His legacy is now being continued by his sons who will continue with the Bowen name. However, Sir Barry was unique, outstanding and undeniably charming, a Belizean that will be remembered lovingly and forever missed.

San Pedro Sun

Bowen allegedly suffered unexpected health condition before crash

But the investigation into the last flight of Sir Barry Bowen will take at least one year to be completed. On Wednesday, the plane and all the debris were picked up and removed by Bowen's workers and transported to his hangar. The Belize Department of Civil Aviation will complete the painstaking task of reconstructing the plane to conduct its own postmortem on the machinery. At Wednesday's press conference, held by the Department of Aviation, the panel revealed that they could not find any mechanical failure and felt that some other factor may have caused Bowen to lose control of the plane. Though they did not say what those factors might be, they did reveal that they would be seeking the results of Bowen's autopsy to be part of their final report. These results have still not been confirmed but it is reported that he suffered an unexpected health condition. On February twenty-sixth, the business icon piloted his V3HDR aircraft from Belize City to San Pedro, and at approximately five-eighteen p.m. the craft crashed point eight of a mile before reaching the San Pedro airstrip. Bowen was an experienced pilot and he passed his last physical examination in 2009. The investigators said that the plane hit three masts on a barge behind Captain Shark's Boatyard in the San Pablo area of the island. The plane careened across the lagoon where it came to a complete stop. Bowen and the four passengers, Michael and Jillian Casey and their two children, two and a half year old Makayla and five month old Bryce were all killed in of the worst plane crashes in close to twenty years. Bowen was given an official funeral on Tuesday and interned at the San Ignacio cemetery on the family plot. On Wednesday, the Casey's were transported back to the U.S. for funeral services in Albany, New York.

News 5

"These results have still not been confirmed but it is reported that he suffered an unexpected health condition."
Reported by whom? This is the worst kind of crap reporting!

Any updates on the cause of the accident? All I hear are foul rumours not worthy to mention.

It does seem bad form to rumor and gossip about the dead.
A very great man who did tons of good works for the country of Belize.

i believe he just flew too low. he had a nice fast plane, its a fun sensation flying fast down low. and he probably just didn't see the poles sticking up from the ship til it was too late. nothing gossipy. simply a tragic accident. Much sympathy for the families.... very sad...

It's nearly a year since the crash. Warm thoughts go to his family as that difficult anniversary approaches.

I doubt that there are more than a handful of Belizeans who have not been uplifted in one way or another by the late Sir Barry Bowen. Sir Barry provided numerous jobs for Belizeans with his many business ventures in Belize, and most of those workers and their families are still supported by the Bowen and Bowen Group of Companies, as well as by Lady Dixie at the Island Academy School, and various other organizations in Belize and throughout the world.

Last year on February 26, in a grass skirt and print shirt, I was headed to pick up a mother of two children attending the Island Academy, as we had planned to work that night at the Luau Fundraiser. The decorations had been placed, the tables were set up, lights were turned on. The bar and the games were ready. The tragic event if that night changed everything. The leis and beads that were intended for an island fundraiser became ribbons of sadness, cloaked around the necks of those who came the following night for the wake of Sir Barry.

A memorial service was held in San Pedro on Monday, and on the following day, a state funeral took place in Belize City, with a procession unheard of. The hearse taking the family and Sir Barry to Cayo was met with hordes of people, standing on the sides of the streets, their hats off, their hands over their hearts. Large groups of schoolchildren lined the way as well, respectful in their best school uniforms, and bowing their heads.

Sir Barry was a business genius, and spread his success to all parts of Belize. From San Pedro to Belize City, to Gallon Jug and Placencia, thousands of Belizeans learned a skill, or got an education because of the generosity of the man. It was only after his passing, that many of those persons came forward to tell stories about how he had put one of their children through school, or funded another's treatment for a life threatening illness. While Sir Barry was a generous man, he could be cantankerous as well, and many mistook his gruff voice and stern tone as a person who could not be touched. This was far from the truth.

Sir Barry had made several flights from Belize and Gallon Jug on that fateful day, bringing in his children and grandchildren for the festive fundraiser. The last flight, with Mike and Jill Casey and their children, proved to be his final flight, after 34 years of flying. No one is sure exactly what happened. To many it does not matter. To the parents of Mike and Jill, it only mattered that their children and grandchildren were gone. To the family and friends of Sir Barry, it only mattered that a husband, father, grandfather, and friend was gone. Many of us in San Pedro were in a blur and a state of shock for many months afterward. In Gallon Jug, a small community, the shock was doubled, as they lost a friend, a boss, and a father, as well as two of their school teachers and their children. We have all done the best we could to muddle through the madness and try and return ourselves to some sort of normalcy.

A year has passed, and it is still hard to imagine that he will not come around the corner by the Belikin distributorship here in San Pedro, all smiles, in his bubble golf cart.

Being a friend of Sir Barry's I can say that my life would not have been the same without having met him, and that it has certainly not been the same since his passing.

Sir Barry and Lady Dixie's children along with Lady Dixie herself, are all finding their way, in their businesses and areas of expertise throughout Belize, and I am convinced that they will do justice and reverence to their husband and father's legacy. They all know they have big shoes to fill.

Tomorrow I will lift a glass of Johnnie Walker Black. Cheers Barry�.know that you were loved by an entire country. Your presence is missed by all of us.

Kitty and Angelica

Beautifully written. Amen. Tears to my eyes.