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Drive On To Name School After Stowers

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

LITHIA - Some Brandon residents would like one of the area's newest public schools to be named in honor of one of its oldest residents.

At age 79, Dick Stowers may not be the oldest Brandon resident in years, but he's one of the oldest in terms of longevity. He's lived here all his life.

That's why longtime friend Nancy Waters, a teacher at Cimino Elementary School in Valrico, has launched a petition drive asking that the Hillsborough County School Board consider naming the new elementary or middle school under construction off FishHawk Boulevard in Lithia after Stowers.

"Most of our schools have been named after local heroes who have passed away," Waters said. She noted that a school was named for longtime Brandon civic activist Dick Cimino after his death, and Frost Elementary School was named for one-time Cimino principal Sandra Frost and her husband, Ron Frost, principal of Durant. Both Frosts died of cancer.

"I like the idea of doing it while Dick is able to appreciate it," she said.

Waters began the petition drive two months ago and said she's been amazed at the response.

"It's been pretty incredible," she said. "It's been a grass-roots movement, and word has really spread. I'm getting e-mails and phone calls from as far away as Texas and West Virginia from people asking me where they can get copies of the petitions. Dick is so well-loved by those in the community and those who used to live here and have moved away. He's everyone's friend."

His wife, Raymetta, agrees that her husband has never met a stranger, and their Christmas card list grows lengthier each year because her husband keeps friends for life.

School district spokeswoman Kristin Jernigan said the community is traditionally invited to take part in choosing the name of a new school.

"The area director's office collects suggestions from the community, and then those suggestions are turned over to the school board, who votes on the name," she said.

Waters believes Stowers deserves the recognition based not only on his name recognition in Brandon but on his community service.

Born in July 1929 and raised in the Palm River area, Stowers graduated from Brandon School, now McLane Middle School, in 1947.

In 1960, he purchased the historical 1876 home built by James Brandon on Brandon Boulevard and turned it into Stowers Funeral Home. In between building his business, he played an active role in building Brandon, serving as president of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, helping to fund the Emergency Care Help Organization when it fell on hard times and establishing the Boys & Girls clubs in Brandon and Riverview. He served as honorary mayor of Brandon in 1963-64, helped to establish Brandon Community Hospital, now Brandon Regional Hospital, and contributed to the Brandon High School Alumni Association.

"He is especially proud of the fact that he provided ambulance service to every Brandon High School football game from 1961 to 1978," Waters said. "This is a man who has unselfishly given back to his hometown schools, helping in his small way to make them the outstanding institutions they are today."

Two weeks ago, Dick and Raymetta Stowers were among the well-wishers at the grand opening of the I Am Hope Cafe in Seffner, founded by the Greater Brandon Ecumenical Ministries.

The couple donated a refrigerator and freezer to the new soup kitchen to help feed the homeless and hungry.

"Dick is so in love with Brandon," said Waters.

"He doesn't do the things he does for attention. He's very humble," she said. "I just know he's an excellent role model and a truly wonderful person, and any student would be proud to attend a school named for him."

Waters hoped to keep the petition drive a secret from Stowers until the packet was submitted to the school district, but longtime Brandon lawyer B. Lee Elam let the cat out of the bag when he posted a message on the marquee outside his Lumsden Road office urging the community to sign the petition.

"I heard about Lee's sign, and I couldn't believe it," Stowers said. "I just had to drive over and see it myself. It's so humbling to have people think of me like that, to have them nominate me for that kind of honor."

For information on the petition drive, contact Waters at (813) 653-3519, (813) 545-5759 or auntstampy@hotmail.com.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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