In Memory of John Bothwell

1943 – 1990

They called me to the phone That day. I felt a chill pervade Into the very depths of me. I knew, Before the words were spoken, He is gone.

You knew him in high school as Jack, a bright star with so many talents and interests. He carried them into his life at Syracuse University where we studied, still together, as twins often do. He was on the tennis team, played sax with the marching band, was voted president of his fraternity, and even jumped through hoops as a gymnast and cheerleader. He excelled in his major, civil engineering, and upon graduation, we separated for the first time, he to Cornell and me to the University of California – such a distance for two so close!

Jack earned his MBA with honors, and then began his career doing what he’d always dreamed of doing: building. As a Project Engineer, his colleagues and clients knew him as John. He started by building a then-new structure called a condo, in Connecticut where he hated the cold, bleak winters on the construction site. So he and his wife moved to Florida, to build sub-divisions, private luxury homes, and then mall complexes. He was active as a swimmer, sailor, and speedboat racer.

His spirit was strong, but his heart was weak, and finally one morning he did not awaken. We had his ashes scattered on the beach he loved so much. His wife and stepson still live in Florida, in the house he built for them.

Florence Bothwell Cosby

To return to The 1960 Trumpet, click the Back Button on your browser.