Queen Carol of Bellatrix


Carol Bowman-Porter


CAROL OF BELLATRIX Early in 2010, CONTACT lost a valued and dedicated friend, Carol Bowman-Porter. All of you who have been part of our organization from its earliest days will remember her with many fond memories. Carol was instrumental in the beginnings of CONTACT; in fact, it may never have happened without her.

We became immediate friends upon meeting and, luckily for me, she became an enthusiastic and dedicated convert to our mission. She introduced me to my first NASA scientist in 1980 and, as I wrote in the History of CONTACT on our website: "At the following Westercon in Sacramento, Carol introduced me to award-winning authors Larry Niven, C. J. Cherryh and John Brunner, and I proposed the idea of CONTACT. It was around a table in that hotel bar in summer, 1981, that CONTACT first looked like it could become a reality."   "The Evolution of COTI"  J.A.Funaro, 1993

She was a member of our first Board of Directors, helped write our bylaws, and was a perpetual and confident supporter of CONTACT, bringing her friends from her many and varied venues into our network. Her warm spirit drew people to her. Carol and I shared many memorable moments and I was fortunate enough to have renewed our connection just a month before she left us.

For reasons both personal and professional, it is to her that Contact 2010 was respectfully, gratefully and affectionately dedicated. We are honored to have been graced with her friendship. Despite SCA tradition, for those of us who loved her and gathered great rewards from her generous and gentle presence, she will always be "Queen Carol."

-Jim Funaro