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2023 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 417
Celebrating the life of Walter Kelvin Bowles.

 

Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2023
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2023

 

WHEREAS, Walter Kelvin Bowles, an honorable veteran, accomplished entrepreneur in the cable television industry, respected scout of Major League Baseball, and an active and beloved member of the Roanoke Valley community, died on February 20, 2022; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Franklin County High School, Kelvin Bowles served the country with honor and distinction for four years as a member of the United States Air Force, including time in Tripoli, Libya, and at what was formerly McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, following his service, Kelvin Bowles embarked on an illustrious career in the cable television industry, founding Atlantic Metrovision Corporation and later Eastern Communications Associates and building and operating more than 15 cable systems in various towns and counties throughout the Commonwealth, becoming at one time the largest independent cable television franchise holder in the state; and

WHEREAS, while pursuing his career in the cable television industry, Kelvin Bowles was concurrently a professional baseball scout with various organizations over more than 30 years, working with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, and Boston Red Sox; one of his most prized possessions was the World Series ring he received when the Florida Marlins won the championship in 1997; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, Kelvin Bowles purchased the Salem Professional Baseball Club, Inc., today known as the Salem Red Sox, and operated the organization for 21 years, during which time he also served as vice president of the Carolina League and on the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees for eight years; in 2001, he was inducted into the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to baseball in the Roanoke Valley; and

WHEREAS, Kelvin Bowles gladly served his community as a founding member of the board of directors of Franklin Community Bank and on the Franklin County Economic Development Commission; in 1996, he was appointed by Governor George Allen to the Southside Virginia Business and Education Commission, and in later years, he was also part of the ownership group of Conner-Bowman Funeral Home in Rocky Mount; and

WHEREAS, outside of baseball, business, and spending time with family on his farm in the Snow Creek area of Franklin County, Kelvin Bowles found great joy in flying airplanes and would earn his instrument rating license and rack up over 2,000 flight hours in his lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Kelvin Bowles will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife, Jane; his son, Brian, and his family; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Walter Kelvin Bowles, a cherished member of the Roanoke Valley community whose legacy of service was an inspiration to all who knew him; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Walter Kelvin Bowles as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.