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The Sachem schools and Sayville communities this week are mourning the passing of longtime Sachem high school science teacher Richard Bowers.
The Sayville resident died on Monday, Jan. 16. He was 75.
“I have such fond memories of his class. He was an excellent teacher,” Sachem schools fifth-grade teacher Lisa Grant, a former student of Bowers, commented on his obituary at Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Homes. “I just wanted to let you know that your father had a positive impact on me, graduate of 1986, and so many others.”
Bowers, who grew up in Lindenhurst and raised a family in Sayville with his wife of 47 years Janice, taught in Sachem schools for 34 years before retiring in 2005. Janice Bowers, a former teacher at Lincoln Avenue Elementary School in Sayville, passed away in November 2021.
When he wasn’t working in the classroom, Bowers spent a lot of his time digging clams in the Great South Bay. It was an occupation he continued during summer breaks long into his teaching career. He also obtained a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and ran fishing charters out of Captree State Park, earning the nicknames “Captain Rich” and “The Captain,” according to obituary information.
Bowers is survived by his children, Tim and Kerrin; two grandsons, Miles and Theodore; a sister, Jane Baumgarten; and nephew Thomas Baumgarten.
Funeral services for Bowers will be held Tuesday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Homes, 245 Main St. in West Sayville. A chapel service is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
