We were truly saddened to hear of Rob’s passing away. Our sincere condolences to everyone at Bowmans and to Rob’s family and friends.

Conscient that Rob was a bright star looking after Bowmans, its values, spirit, and colleagues for so many years, we hope that in some way he continues to guide the firm from up above. May he rest in peace and guard his loved ones as well.

Considering the impact of Rob’s life and work, we trust that the below poem is a fair reflection of our thoughts on the loss of an extraordinary human being. We also wish that it may provides some peace and comfort in this time of grief. Feel free to pass it on.

When Great Trees Fall

Maya Angelou

When great trees fall,

rocks on distant hills shudder,

lions hunker down

in tall grasses,

and even elephants

lumber after safety.

 

When great trees fall

in forests,

small things recoil into silence,

their senses

eroded beyond fear.

 

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes

light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly,

see with

a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words

unsaid,

promised walks

never taken.

 

Great souls die and

our reality, bound to

them, takes leave of us.

Our souls,

dependent upon their

nurture,

now shrink, wizened.

Our minds, formed

and informed by their

radiance, fall away.

We are not so much maddened

as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of

dark, cold

caves.

 

And when great souls die,

after a period peace blooms,

slowly and always

irregularly. Spaces fill

with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses, restored, never

to be the same, whisper to us.

They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be

better. For they existed.

 

With our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers.