James F. Bowers

Jim Bowers, one of our College Hill classmates at WHS in 1961, was diagnosed with vascular dementia about 2.5 years ago. He has been in a nursing home since mid-2013. Vascular dementia is similar to Alzheimer's disease, but has different causes. Symptoms are very similar with loss of memory, ambulatory difficulties, speech difficulties and sometimes total inability to speak. Jim's disease has been managed well with meds, but in the last 4/5 months the disease symptoms have been more difficult to manage. Hopefully the Docs will be able to change his meds to more effectively manage the symptoms, but this disease is a progressive one, so Jim needs all the help that he can get. Jim was also recently diagnosed with lymphoma which the docs have determined should not be treated due to his current physical condition. Hospice has been brought in for additional care recently. Jim is responding well to the added attention from the Hospice care workers as he has been up and around talking to other residents of the nursing home.

Jim participated in numerous activities at Woodward including Hi-Y, Bulldog Barks, Council on World Affairs, French Club and he also was Basketball Manager. During his years at WHS, Jim "dabbled" in pencil sketching and after WHS he wrote short stories under a pseudonym. For those of you who knew him well, you will recall that his mother, Helen, taught business classes at Woodward. Jim's father, Paul, was also a teacher but he taught at Hughes High School, refereed high school football games, and was a Hamilton County park ranger at Winton Woods part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer.

Jim was a great friend of many Collegehillians from his time at College Hill Elementary School, thru Schwab Junior High and Woodward. Jim and I kept in contact over all the years after WHS, seeing each other as frequently as possible, pretty much yearly. When I visited family in the Cincinnati area, we'd get together to talk and reminisce about old times until I moved to N.C. We then kept in phone contact a couple times a year. My thoughts and prayers are with Jim, and I hope that yours are too.
Sincerely
Barry Fielman
Raleigh NC