CARSTAIRS – A local father and husband who tragically died when the vehicle he was driving got caught in a major pileup on Highway 2 near Crossfield, is fondly remembered by his former employer as “one of those kind of guys that everybody just loved.”
Brad Dowell, a married father of two young boys, was killed on Dec. 27 in a major multi-vehicle collision along the northbound lanes of Highway 2 roughly a couple of kilometres north of Veterans Boulevard at Highway 72 in Rocky View County.
A celebration of life following his internment was held on Friday, Jan 6 at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Didsbury.
The 36-year-old professional tradesman worked as a plumber and HVAC technician with The Gentlemen Pros Plumbing, Heating and Electrical under former employer Brham Trim, who started a GoFundMe campaign in support of Dowell’s wife Shyla and the couple’s sons Brody, 7, and Beau, 2.
“He was a great employee,” Trim told the Albertan on Jan. 5 during a phone interview.
“It was just a huge shock to everybody; everybody loved Brad,” he said. “He was the kind of guy who had a smile on his face, was always positive.”
In the immediate aftermath of the emotional shockwaves that left his colleagues stunned, Trim said “we closed everything down and gathered at the office in support of one another.”
Following some hugs and shared tears as well as memories about Brad, the initial shock slowly started to subside and the discussion evolved into a brainstorming session to come up with ideas on how to help his family, said Trim.
A roundtable chat led to the GoFundMe campaign as well as a project to compile a collection of pictures and stories about Dowell to put together three identical memory scrapbooks – one for Shyla, Brody and Beau, he said.
A few of the staff at the office also got together to prepare some meals for the freezer, while Trim decided to commit to making available the company’s services at no cost.
“He would have been the guy that fixed everything around the house,” he said. “So, we gave Shyla a lifetime membership for free service with us.”
The example set by Dowell on a daily basis is in large part what inspired Trim into action.
Whenever he would come into the office, Dowell would demonstrate a genuine interest in how his colleagues’ days and even their personal lives were going.
People often make small talk “but when he would ask, he would actually mean it. And he remembered so much about everybody and was a big part of everybody’s life,” said Trim.
“It’s important to remember Brad and the guy that he was; the awesome dad and person in general. Brad was one of those down-to-earth, just great guy all-around who’d help anybody,” he said, going on to describe him as “a big teddy bear. When I think about Brad, I’m just going to think about his positive attitude and his love for life.”
The GoFundMe campaign had as of Jan. 9 raised $34,030 through 252 donations toward the $40,000 goal, which just a few days prior had been increased after reaching an original goal of $30,000.
“Our aim is to make this time a little easier for the family left behind, keeping the financial burden as light as possible while their hearts heal and they find their footing once again,” reads portion of the campaign statement.
Alternatively, another fundraiser for the family is also being promoted through a social media page created in his honour for friends and family to share memories.
“We know that GoFundMe takes a portion of the funds and have decided to create a trust account at the ATB Bank…with 100 per cent of the donations going directly to her,” reads in part a post shared by Nicole Kotyk.
Donations can be made in person with a manager at Boston Pizza in Olds between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., or anyone interested in contributing can also go to any ATB branch and inquire about making a donation under either Brad or Shyla’s name, or digitally by sending an e-transfer to [email protected].
