Marcia Bowen

The Press Association of Jamaica wishes to express its condolences to the family and friends of Marcia Bowen who died on Saturday, April 26, after battling cancer.

Bowen, 34, was employed as a reporter with The Gleaner Company from 1993-1995. While at The Gleaner, she served as youth page editor, temporary rural desk editor and general assignment reporter.

After her stint at The Gleaner, she pursued a diploma in mass communications at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication from which she graduated with honours in 1996.

Ms Bowen then became a public-relations practitioner, and worked with the Sandals Group, Blue Cross of Jamaica, and Digicel.

Throughout her career as a public-relations practitioner, she distinguished herself and won a number of awards. She also maintained a warm and friendly relationship with the news media.

Mark Dawes, The Gleaner's editor for religion and foreign affairs, remembers Ms Bowen as a fun-loving, bright, ambitious and diligent reporter.

"She was generous in spirit and deeply committed to the pursuit of excellence in every endeavour. She will be sorely missed," said Dawes

Phyllis Thomas, The Gleaner's enterprise editor, describes Ms Bowen as "a bright young woman who, having decided from very early in her life that journalism would be her career, pursued that path with diligence."

Added Thomas: "We saw rapid growth in her professional develop-ment as she had an eye for the news and was always in pursuit of the next big story."