Travis "Shug" Bowyer

Travis “Shug” Bowyer May 5, 1949 – May 29, 2025

With a soul steeped in warmth and a laugh that could brighten any room, Travis “Shug” Bowyer lived a life rich in flavor, heart, and hard-earned wisdom. He passed away peacefully at the age of 76 on May 29, 2025, in his Lakewood, Colorado home, with the deep and abiding love of his family, surrounded by the love that carried him through decades.

He began his journey on May 5, 1949, in the rugged hills of Berwind, West Virginia. As a boy growing up in Coaling, Alabama, during the turbulence of the civil rights era, Travis absorbed both the struggle and the strength of his community. Travis’s early life was marked by the harsh realities of segregation and systemic injustice. Growing up in a world that demanded resilience, strength, and courage. Those formative years laid the foundation for compassion, fortitude, and pride that would define his life. The dusty red clay roads and deep southern skies bore witness to his early resilience. He attended an all-Black high school, where history walked alongside him—quietly shaping a perspective grounded in perseverance and pride.

As a young man, Travis came of age in Omaha, Nebraska, where he attended Omaha technical school. Learning the trades that would support him—custodial work, hands-on care, and cooking — he cultivated life skills that would support him throughout his journey and began crafting the identity of a man who would live with grit, dignity, and a dedication to hard work and self-reliance. It was also in Omaha, with his mother, that his culinary talents began to flourish, setting the stage for a lifelong love of food and feeding others.

Travis eventually found his home—and his authentic self—in Colorado, where he spent the final 30 years of his professional life as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), working in healthcare, hospice care and eventually retiring from the State of Colorado. Discovering the deep satisfaction of work well done. His gentle nature, tireless work ethic, and innate empathy made him a beloved caregiver and colleague. He touched countless lives through his work in healthcare, offering dignity and compassion to all he served. Patients often remembered not just his care, but the way he made them feel seen, safe, and never alone.

To know Travis was to feel welcomed in his kitchen or garden. The scent of smoked chicken wings, slow-simmered greens, and sweet-spicy barbecue often drifted through the air, drawing loved ones to his table. His cooking was never just about food, it was about gathering, storytelling, and love. His meals fed not just the body but the soul.

His green thumb nurtured thriving plants and created vibrant harvests, a reflection of the care he poured into his relationships. His ornery, salty humor was balanced by his deep generosity and warmth, and his frugal way made him instantly beloved. In his garden, Travis moved with quiet intention. He turned soil with tenderness, coaxing green life from the earth with hands that had carried burdens and blessings alike. His garden, like his life, was genuine, fruitful, and full of care.

A proud and lifelong Raider’s fan, Travis wore his loyalty like a badge. Sundays were sacred, filled with the thrill of the game and a few good-natured grumbles when the score didn’t go his way. He engaged in his passion for all sports with fervor, often surrounded by laughter and camaraderie.

Though his journey included heartaches and challenges, Travis lived a full life—marked by love, friendship, and many chapters. He loved deeply and was loved in return, forming bonds that crossed time and place. Traveling through the seasons of a rapidly changing world, Travis bore witness to monumental shifts during his 76 years, navigating the complexities of life. He lived through Jim Crow in the south. He experienced the struggles and triumphs of those around him and stood as a proud testament to resilience and evolution.

Travis loved deeply and lived fully. He navigated the world with curiosity and compassion, shaped by the South, sharpened in the Midwest, and fulfilled in the mountains of Colorado. He loved many women, weathered many seasons, and never lost his sense of self or his sense of humor. His humor, often ornery, salty and delightfully unfiltered, carried the kind of authenticity that made you feel at ease. He gave freely—of his time, his talents, and his attention—never asking for recognition, only connection.

He leaves behind his long-time partner, Romie Ryden; daughters Tausha Brinker, Kaddii Brinker, Jocelyn Bowyer and his son, Zach Bowyer. His grandchildren—ShaVonna, Taylor, Makaio, and Ezra—carry his legacy in their laughter, their stories, and the way they care for others. He now rejoins his parents, Travelous Hairston and Vassie Bowyer, who planted the first seeds of strength in the boy who would grow into this unforgettable man.

Travis Bowyer lived a life that was bold, tender, and profoundly real. His presence remains—in every memory told over a shared plate, in every blooming garden, in every Raiders jersey on a Sunday afternoon. His presence will be sorely missed, but the echoes of his laughter and the warmth of his love will forever linger in the hearts of those who knew him.