THE funeral of a larger-than-life Ware town crier who taught thousands of children to swim will take place today (Tuesday January 3).
Alan Bowell, 75, of The Moat, Puckeridge, spent four decades as a coach of swimming clubs in Buntingford, Ware and Hoddesdon.
The youngest of three boys, Mr Bowell was born in 1936 in north London, where he attended Tottenham County Grammar School.
A keen sportsman, he played rugby from a young age until 40 and was also a Scout leader until he was drafted in to do his national service aged 18.
After completing his two-year stint in the Royal Air Force working in communications and radar, Mr Bowell contracted tuberculosis, incapacitating him for two years.
Mr Bowell married wife Rita in June 1961 after meeting through a mutual friends.
The couple moved to Nazeing before a switch to Puckeridge a decade later and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last summer.
Mr Bowell spent his working career as an administrator and facilitator, taking early retirement aged 59 from Telephone Rentals in Hertford in 1995, now Hertford police station.
The dad-of-two?s affinity with swimming, twice taking the role of county president for the Amateur Swimming Association, started when his daughter Sue was learning to swim at The Broxbourne School pool.
Taking his coaching badges, Mr Bowell spent 20 years at Ware Swimming Club while also helping out at Broxbourne Swimming Club.
Mr Bowell helped get the fledging Buntingford Swimming Club up and running when it started at the newly built Ward Freman Pool in 1976, spending two spells there as head coach.
He became Ware?s town crier in the mid 1990s, holding the ceremonial position for some 15 years.
A grandfather-of-six, Mr Bowell was a friend of St Mary's Church, Standon, and sat on its fundraising committee.
Mr Bowell died after a long battle with illness on Saturday December 17 at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage.
His funeral service was held on Tuesday at Parndon Wood, Harlow, followed by a celebration of his life at St Mary's Church.
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