Garry C. Bowman

During my Junior year ('63) I moved to Florida with my parents and later in '65, moved back to Olney. I worked for several area restaurants in Olney (Welcome Inn & Holiday Inn) and owned the Cozy Cafe restaurant on Main Street. My most interesting experience during my restaurant career was as a Steak Chef at the Polynesian Village in Disney World in Florida. After working many long hours in the restaurant business and later in the mobile home business (Bowman Mobile Homes) with my father in the Olney area, I wanted to do something different.

I graduated from Eastern (EIU) in Charleston with a BS in Education. My first job after graduation was as Administrator of a private Christian school in Olney and after that as a Special Ed teacher in the public schools.

In 1983, I took a position with the State of Illinois as a Rehabilitation Teacher for the blind. As part of my duties, I conducted workshops and seminars at national conferences and in different states. In 1995, I had the privilege of teaching a University course on Bibliotherapy at the University of Pariaba, Joa Pesoa, Brazil. In 1988, while still working full time, I obtained a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Administration from Southern Illinois University (SIU-C) through a special program for working professionals.

In 1998, I received a promotion as the first Assistive Technology Specialist in the Illinois Department of Human Services. Duties involved managing a technology demonstration site in Mt.Vernon and researching, assessing and providing technology solutions for individuals with disabilities to have more independence and employment opportunities.

When my daughter and her family moved to Texas, that was just too far away from the grand-kids, so Jane and I moved to Texas in 2003. I was employed with the State of Texas Blind Services in a newly created position as a Statewide Teacher Training Specialist and managed the Rehabilitation Teacher training program.

Jane spent her career in Illinois and later in Texas as a Teacher and as a Guidance Counselor. One day she announced to me that she was going to retire and did so. That looked like fun, so I retired a few months later. Since then, we have done a lot of volunteering and working with the Master Gardener program. Gardening is challenging in Central Texas, but you can grow a garden 12 months out of the year by working with nature.

Working with people with disabilities for 30 years has been a blessing. I met many amazing individuals in Illinois and in Texas who overcame adversity and went on to succeed in life. One of my favorite quotes comes from the book, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. "Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Go to Israel.

Be near family.