Family, friends pay tribute to Olympic track star Tori Bowie at private funeral in Brandon
BRANDON − The parking lot at True Vine Missionary Baptist Church was full on Saturday morning and cars were still pulling in minutes before the proceedings.
Those in attendance for the memorial service all shared a familiar bond: A connection to three-time Olympic medalist Tori Bowie of Sandhill.
Family and friends started to exit the church and enter their cars for the funeral procession. Members of Dean Memorial Funeral Home began carrying portraits of Bowie to their fleet of white Cadillac SUVs.
There were beautiful framed photos of Bowie in action, on the track, where the world knew her most. However, there were also portraits of Bowie that showed a side that only her family and close friends could have seen. Bowie's dazzling smile and warmth could be felt through the photos.
Bowie's death was announced on May 3 by her management team and USA Track and Field. She was 32. No cause of death has been given.
The funeral was held less than 12 miles from Pisgah High School where she became a three-time state champion in the 4x100 meters for the Dragons and also set an MHSAA record in 2008 by clearing 19-feet, 9½-inches in the long jump.
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She continued her track and field career at Southern Miss under Kevin Stephen, who was an assistant and head coach for 15 years in Hattiesburg before resigning in 2014.
Bowie helped deliver a NCAA indoor and outdoor championship in 2011. She was inducted into the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame last year.
Stephen was joined by Bowie's agent Kimberly Holland in delivering reflectional tributes at the ceremony.
Bowie announced herself to the world at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200. She also ran the anchor leg on a 4x100 team with Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix and English Gardner to take gold.
A year later, she won the 100 at the world championships in London. She also helped the 4x100 team to gold.
Four-time Olympian Brittney Reese attended the funeral. The former Gulfport and Ole Miss standout respected the way Bowie represented their home state.
"I'm so heartbroken over this," Reese wrote on Twitter. "You have made a lot of us proud. Thank you for representing our state of Mississippi like you did. RIP!"
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Tori Bowie funeral held in Brandon with friends, family paying tribute
