CFO JIMMY PATRONIS ON PASSING OF FSU COACH
8/9/2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a statement on the passing of former Florida State University (FSU) Coach Bobby Bowden.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “While Coach Bowden will forever be a fixture in Florida history, to me, he’ll always be someone that had a fondness for Panama City. When he was an assistant coach, Coach Bowden would often come up to my family’s restaurant, eat and visit with area folks about local recruits in Florida and Alabama. Coach loved Panama City so much that his entire family would come over every July 4th. Coaches don’t get a lot of downtime, so we were always honored that he chose to spend his time with the ones he loved in the community we called home. Over the years we would see his family grow and grow, with kids and grandkids.
“I always appreciated his relationship with God and how his faith was at the heart of every decision he made. He never faltered in sharing the gospel of Christ to the young men he coached and loved dearly. Coach leaves behind a legacy that transcends sports. He is a Florida and national treasure, a kind soul with a warrior’s heart, and there will never be another like him. My condolences go out to his beautiful wife, Ann and the entire Bowden family.”
CFO Patronis is a graduate of FSU and when he served as a House member in the Florida Legislature, he sponsored HR 9027 in 2010 to honor Coach Bowden for his career as coach.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “While Coach Bowden will forever be a fixture in Florida history, to me, he’ll always be someone that had a fondness for Panama City. When he was an assistant coach, Coach Bowden would often come up to my family’s restaurant, eat and visit with area folks about local recruits in Florida and Alabama. Coach loved Panama City so much that his entire family would come over every July 4th. Coaches don’t get a lot of downtime, so we were always honored that he chose to spend his time with the ones he loved in the community we called home. Over the years we would see his family grow and grow, with kids and grandkids.
“I always appreciated his relationship with God and how his faith was at the heart of every decision he made. He never faltered in sharing the gospel of Christ to the young men he coached and loved dearly. Coach leaves behind a legacy that transcends sports. He is a Florida and national treasure, a kind soul with a warrior’s heart, and there will never be another like him. My condolences go out to his beautiful wife, Ann and the entire Bowden family.”
CFO Patronis is a graduate of FSU and when he served as a House member in the Florida Legislature, he sponsored HR 9027 in 2010 to honor Coach Bowden for his career as coach.
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About CFO Jimmy Patronis
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and X (@FLDFS).