Thomas Spencer Duffield Bowyer, 83—known as “Spence” or “Bow”—passed away peacefully Aug. 4 in Chicago.
Thomas was born in Newport, Wales, and spent his childhood in Bournemouth, a beautiful seaside resort town on the southern coast of England. After moving to Chicago in 1963, Thomas began a new life, living in both Edgewater and Uptown.
Working as a typesetter and compositor at the Sun-Times for 35 years, he was always proud of his work. He knew and frequently regaled in stories about his colleagues Abigail Van Buren, Roger Ebert and Irv Kupcinet.
Thomas served in the British Army during the Korean Conflict where he was stationed in Hong Kong. He was an avid reader, film buff, and soccer fan who attended four World Cup tournaments. He was an expert in the subject of world history with a particular interest in World War II. He was always a consummate gentleman.
He is survived by his dear friend, Darren Stephens; an older sister in Dorset, England; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his companion of twenty-eight years, Orion Martinez.
In lieu of flowers, donations accepted to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.
A graveside burial is being planned for either on or after Thursday, Aug. 24, at Rosehill Cemetery 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave.. A memorial gathering will follow.
For information, call Cremation Society of Illinois: 773-281-5058 and Cremation-society.com.