Sat, Jul 04, 2009
 Bruce Bowden received his bell after being nominated by his sister-in-law, Lynn Houtz. She said Bowden "gives everything he's capable of giving financially, materially and through his time."
COurtesy of Eric Houtz
Sierra Tucson Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Trades/Construction RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION General A1 Communications Cable Techs Tucson RegionModest donor is an 'unsung hero'Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.17.2008
The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Bruce Bowden, who dedicates much time and energy to helping the community although he's so modest about it that even those close to him don't know the extent of his generosity.
Bowden was nominated by his sister-in-law, Lynn Houtz, who described him as "one of those quiet, unsung heroes."
"Whenever he sees an opportunity and has the means to help, he does," Houtz said.
Sometimes that means giving his time to such agencies as the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, the Community Food Bank and the Primavera Foundation.
Sometimes it means making what donations he can.
And sometimes it means organizing things at work to the benefit of the needy. Bowden is the head chef at La Mariposa Resort and regularly donates food to area agencies that nourish the homeless.
"He does all kinds of very good things that even his wife doesn't know about," Houtz said. "He's a giver, and he's so humble that you won't even know all the good things he's doing because he keeps them to himself.
"I actually only know a small portion of what he does," she said. "I call my sister, and she says things like, 'He's not here because he's taking sandwiches to the soup kitchen' or 'supplies to the food bank.' It's just in passing that I've learned what a tremendous giver Bruce is."
She said she's also been the beneficiary of Bowden's good deeds.
"He's been there for me so many times and is a brother-in-law who cares more than you would imagine any brother-in-law would care," Houtz said.
"Sometimes just out of the blue he'll come over and bring me food. He rescues animals, and he rescues people, and he does it in a quiet, very low-key fashion. He doesn't do it for any kind of ego gratification. He truly is what I'd call an altruistic person, and you don't find too many of those."
Houtz said she decided to nominate her brother-in-law for a bell after she heard about the program on the radio, then checked out the project's Web site.
"The first person who came to my mind was Bruce," she said.
The folks with the bells agreed that Bowden's kindness deserved to be lauded and surprised him at work Wednesday.
"He's not looking for any kind of recognition, and I had a feeling this would embarrass him," Houtz said.
"But I've been in the non-profit community my whole life, and you don't find a lot of people like Bruce, who have demanding, hard jobs but don't go home and just think about themselves. He always thinks about others first."
Not surprisingly, Bowden deflected the praise, quietly saying, "I just try to do what I can."
"I get support through my employers," Steve and Fran-cesca Brennan, he said. "They're very willing to participate when we're able to assist with food donations."
He confessed to being surprised by the recognition.
"I'm certainly not exceptional or anything," he said. "It's just empathy for fellow people and doing God's work in the community whenever I can."
Houtz, though, was eager to praise the man who's been married to her sister, Ann, for 25 years.
"There's no more deserving person for this," she said. "I could go on forever about what a wonderful man he is and how my sister and he have a solid wonderful marriage and are such a team. Together, they truly care about their community. I'm very, very proud to be related to them."
● L. Anne Newell
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