Jacob D. Bower

West Point, 2015

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Tyler McCutchan on August 10, 2011:

Life is precious... Friendship is incredible... Character is priceless... Jacob Bower's death reminded us just how precious life really is. It was a privilege to call Jacob one of my best my friends and we all know, without question; he was a person of tremendous character. Jacob said and I quote: "We must continue forward and upward with enduring speed and strength" I am here in one of the darkest times in many of our lives to give a Farewell address to one of the most valiant people I will ever know just as Jacob challenged the Class of 2011, just eight weeks ago, to take responsibility and be "the architect of our own character". Jacob's death has shaken us all to our core but I am sure that on some level it will build our character as we find ways to go through life without him, desperately trying to make sense of it all. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and to Emily. Thank you all for coming here today so that we can pay tribute to someone we know was destined for greatness, was poised for success and was determined to achieve "a truly content and absolute life". He had already achieved so much -- but was clearly taken from us far too soon. Thank you Mr. Myers, Mr. Nuzum and the entire faculty and staff of East Fairmont High School for allowing us to come together as a school, as a community and as a family to grieve together, to try to make sense of it all together, and to remember how it was we came to know and love Jacob for the boy he was and the man he would become. From the moment I received the call, I wished it was all a bad dream. For those of you who saw my Facebook post, I wished... that last round of golf was never ending, that the going away party had never stopped, and that all those memories weren't so far away... After having a few days to try to process what has happened...I know that thanks to the good times, the class times, the game times, and the fun times we shared -- the memories will always be in my heart and in my mind. Jacob definitely left us far too soon but he managed to leave his mark in so many ways and on so many people... He was a wonderful son, big brother, grandson and nephew to an amazing group of people. He made their days a little brighter with his smile and made their world complete just by being himself. His laugh was a day-brightener, a sound that always put a smile on your face, and something that i am going to miss dearly. For his friends, teammates and classmates: he challenged us to be strong, to be true to ourselves, to strive for greatness and to remember to have fun along the way. Losing people is tough -- losing someone so young is tragic -- losing your best friend 8 weeks after graduation is unthinkable. I have done my best to work through this and I thank my family and friends for their support along the way...and I know they will continue to be there for me. I have offered my support to Dean, Ginger, Ryan, Emily, and the rest of Jacob's family and pledge to continue to do so for the rest of my life. I know each and every one of you have done the same in your own way. We are all blessed to have personal memories of Jacob. This time last week some of us didn't even know each other, but because of Jacob Bower we now know we share a common bond. We have shared tears and hugs and even had a few laughs along the way looking back on all that made Jacob...Jacob. And while there will never be answers to all our questions, we know that Bower Power will always be remembered as a positive force in our school, our community, our world and most especially in our hearts. Jacob Bower's death is a tragedy that has touched down all over the world. Senator Manchin rose on the Senate floor and payed honor to Jacob on Wednesday. I hope from this tragedy many of you see just how precious life is. Parents I hope you hug your children more often, and kids tell your parents you love them everyday every chance you get. I have learned that you never know what tomorrow will bring. On July, 22 at 6:48am I was informed that I had just lost my best friend on a field exercise the day before and my life will never be the same. Thank you Dean and Ginger for allowing me to say a few words. I will never forget you my friend... and we must all REMEMBER... Life is precious! Friendship is incredible! And Character is priceless!

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