b"OBITUARIESJimmie Lee McCowan Jr.,Nov 22, 1944July, 2020If I could reach from pole to pole, or grasp the oceanempty with no jewlery on them and that I had the with a span I would be measured by the soul Theperfect bracelet for him that I knew he could wear mind's the standard of the man. because he had the swagger to pull off wearing it, itIsaac Watts was a magnetic wrap around bracelet with light blue beading, I said it would match his eyes. He laughed , and bought it and we sat and just talked until the By Marie Weatherspoon loungewasclosing,heofferedmearidehome,I accepted; I remember driving with him and just look-ing at him thinking I had never seen nor met a man T his quote could be applied to the Life of Jimmielike him, he told me his age, 70, and I was shocked Lee McCowan Jr ( Gus). In his lifetime of achieve- because he did not look it at all, he had muscles, menthedidreachfrompoletopoleandhadana head of unbelievable hair, and to top it off , blue ocean-like span, a span of unrivaled mastery in hiseyes, I thought he was the most beautiful man I had professionasaMasterHeavyMachineOperatorever seen. We went on several dates and drew closer with special expertise in Remodeling & Excavationand closer, Jimmie Lee was my soulmate we were Masonry work. together for close to 5 years and hardly ever apart, Jimmie Lee McCowan Jr, came to Denver, Coloradowe had so many adventures together, so many great in 1965, born in LaRue Texas, in Henderson Countymoments that are now cherished memories for me, on November 22, 1944 to Sarah Mae Williams andHe was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2017 , I GussieLeeMcCowan.JimmieLeegrewuplovingnever left his side, he told me he would understand if adventure and tractors and the action of it all, tell- I did, but i told him Hush baby I will never leave you, ing me of the times his father would sit him on aI will always be by your side you are a champion and tractor , learning him early on how to operate them.always will be I use to tell him when he was feeling With his early knowledge of operating them, he wentdown about having cancer and felt like he was a bur-on and went to school and earned his certificate inden, that he was not , and should never be ashamed, Heavy Equipment Operation in the state of Florida.that he had accomplished so much in his life and With that knowledge building upon the knowledgelived through somuch, that it was an honor for me to he already possessed, Jimmie Lee went on to con- be able to be near him, to help him, to be able to be quer the world of demolition, working all over thein his presence, I was the one that was blessed. He statesofColorado,CaliforniaandFlorida,hetoldwould always brag on me telling friends and family me vividly of the time he once tore a house downI love my girl she did things for me I could not do in the Hollywood Hills in California near the housefor myself, pushed me around in a wheelchair when ofthefamousactressLucilleBallandhowthereI could not walk, helped me to get back up on my weremembersoftheKuKluxKlannearbythatfeet I would always smile and tell him thank you, would come out on their balcony and just sit therebut that it was because of his will and Gods grace and watch him while he worked, he said they neverthat he pulled through and that I was blessed to be harmed him nor said anything, just watched him ,able to help him.this African American Man on a Trackhoe machineJimmie Lee McCowan Jr courageously fought can-which is, especially then, mainly operated by Whitecer never losing his spirit and heart of gold, he would men, tear down this mansion of a house, he said walk into his cancer treatment center and say to the they seemed surprised and underneath their hatredladies at the front deskof him for being a black Man, they more than likelyHelloLoveallhisdoctorsandstaffjustloved admired him and respected his ability to do whathim, still with his amazing head of hair which he what he could do. never lost even with chemotherapy , with his style Jimmie Lee McCowan Jr, surprised a lot of people,andvibrantpersonalityevenatchemotherapyhe in appearance alone he stood out, with a unbeliev- was a showman. He went through server surgeries ableheadofhairthathekeptexcellentcareof,as a result of cancer each time amazing the doctors curling it up in his signature way,and his blue eyes,at his strength and courage, Jimmie Lee was blessed he was mesmerizing to look at, told although out histogetbackonandoperatetheHeavyMachines life that he looked like James Brown and a Blackhe loved so much in the fall of 2019, after having Elvis. His impeccable style was impressive, adding todone the first day of his chemo regimen ( he would his mystique, were the custom clothes he had madereceive chemotherapy twice a month, with chemo on forhim,leathersuites,furcoats,StaceyAddamsa Monday in the chair for a few hours, then leave shoes, boots and socks, Jimmie Lee had style not towith a small bag of chemo that would finish drain-be matched, and his swagger was that of a man thating into his body via a port in his chest on Tuesday, knew what he possessed and who he was and wasthen back to the center on Wednesday for the pump proud in a way that was not seeing himself as betterdisconnect and final flush) with chemo still draining than anyone else, but in a way that showed that heinto his chest port for the second day of his twice could and would defy a society that said a Black manmonthly regime, he went out to East Andrews Drive couldnotachievewhatheachievednorhavethein Denver, Co and over a period of days he dug out elegance that he had, Jimmie Lee McCowan Jr brokeand cleared off a five acre plot of that land, Mark those barriers, arriving to work sites in his trade- Bryan the contractor that hired Jimmie Lee to do mark car of choice, the king of the road, Caddillac,the job, said he couldn't believe how great he was, steppingoutwithhishairlaidout,peoplesjawsjust unreal, and to be able to do that while receiving woulddropopen,likewhoisthisthenwatchchemo was just amazing.stunned as he mastered the heavy machines beforeIn his final days endless family and friends came to him, with all his elaborate style he was so focusedsee him, I along with his daughters LaNita McCowan, on the job at hand that he rarely made a mistake,Lydia Renee Morton and his son Damon Miller cared people would see him later on at a club and see himfor him around the clock in his home , Jimmie Lee all dressed up and were spellbound by him, like howMcCowan Jr ( Gus ) passed away on July 3, 2020 at could this man have that style, that hair and do what3:45am I was with him in the room when he passed, he did on the job? But he could and did because heI remember telling him it was ok, that he had done was Jimmie Lee, the one and only. so well , he had achieved so much, that he was a I met Jimmie Lee McCowan Jr ( Gus ) in the latechampion and always would be, that I loved him and summerof2014,iwasgoingtoschoolforEventalways would, that he was my king.PlanningatEmilyGriffithTechnicalCollegeinIn the Holy Bible Matthew 25:verse 21 reads Well DowntownDenver,Colorado,Iwouldfinishmydone, good and faithful servant. You have been faith-classesandthenasawaytorelaxandsocializeful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into and sell a little jewelry that i had, I would head overthe joy of your master. I believe Jimmie Lee is in the totheRandallsNewClimaxLoungelocatedoffofjoy and paradise of God, having achieved so much 22nd and Welton street in the Historic Five Pointsand touched so many lives for the better he is now Neighborhood. One evening I was sitting at a boothresting with the King of Kings , I know someday I withmyjewlerystretchedacrossthetable,therewill see him face to face again, im so grateful to have was noise and excitement in the air as people wereknown and loved him for the years that i was blessed talking , laughing and having a good time, I lookedto, my life is better as a result, toacross over at the bar and seen this man staring at me, he with the encouragement of his friend Edwardhave met a King among men, Jimmie Lee McCowan Too Tall Walker came over to my table and intro- Jr ( Gus ) will always be a shining star whose spirit duce himself, as Jimmie Lee, i was thinkingOh mywill continue to guide me on.Lord this man is fine I told him his wrists looked 10 AUGUST 2020 BOCNEWS.com"