In addition to his wit, joy, kindness, and his passion for the cooperative movement, Thomas Bowen had a good sense of humor.

On Aug. 6, he posted a Facebook picture of him looking up at a bronze statue of George Washington.

“I asked George what he thought about the 2016 election…Have you ever heard a statue crumble?” Bowen wrote.

About two weeks after he made that FB post, Bowen, the former director of member relations at the National Cooperative Business Association and a credit union executive, passed away of a cerebral aneurysm on Aug. 19.

He was 47.

Bowen started his credit union career in the early 1990's at the $468 million Envision Credit Union (then North Florida Education Credit Union) in Tallahassee, Fla.

“We discovered Thomas' ability while he worked for a restaurant in the Duval Hotel when I and many of the staff would have lunch there,” Ray E. Cromer, retired president/CEO of Envision CU, recalled. “Our credit union office was right across the street, so it was very convenient.  He was always so positive with a great customer service attitude that we eventually wooed him away to work for us.”

Cromer said Bowen served the credit union in many positions from 1995 to 2002, but he was most remembered for the successful launch of the credit union's call center.

“Most of all, we enjoyed his humor, broad smile, sincere personality and commitment to member service beyond expectation,” Cromer said.

Bowen also worked as a branch manager for the $1 billion Scott Federal Credit Union in Edwardsville, Ill., and later became a customer service specialist for Charles Schwab. After that he served as chief operations officer for the former KC Councils Federal Credit Union in College Park, Md., and then was appointed operations project coordinators for the $120 million Money One Federal Credit Union in Largo, Md.

After serving as a marketing director for Visions Ink Inc., he became a senior advisor to the CEO at the Washington, D.C.-based NCBA in February 2013 and was named the organization's director of member relations in January 2014.

According to his obituary, Bowen donated his organs that saved several lives.

“We know you share in our sorrow, as so many of you counted Thomas a friend, a colleague and a fellow cooperator,” Judy Ziewacz, president/CEO of NCBA, wrote in the organization's newsletter.  “But during this time of grieving, it's important to celebrate the life that Thomas led—full of humor, wit, joy and kindness—and the extraordinary impact he had on everyone he met and interacted with.”

“To that end, NCBA CLUSA—or #workfamily, as Thomas would have phrased it—is privileged to announce a scholarship fund in his honor to benefit Emerging Co-op Leaders, administered through the Cooperative Development Foundation” she wrote. “Thomas was passionate about nurturing cooperative development. We are proud of his legacy and the relationships he cultivated as Director of Member Relations for NCBA CLUSA.

Scholarship donation details will follow in this week's edition of CBJ Online.

Bowen is survived by his partner, Jay LeMaster of North Bethesda, Md., parents, Edward (Sharon) Bowen, Spring, Texas., and brother, Scott (Kaori) Bowen, Yuma, Ariz.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27, 10 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Services, 2659 Main Street, Whitney Point, N.Y.