A public servant rather than a politician
They said it was never about him.
After his first couple of Englewood City Council meetings, they started calling him “Dr. Mellow.”
Twenty-eight years later, he was still Dr. Mellow to his friends and patients.
Twenty-eight years of service on the council, the last 10 as mayor.
He never put out a campaign sign.
He never faced opposition.
Even when he was wasting away with brain cancer, he still was the mayor of Englewood.
It was understood he would be mayor until he drew his last breath or decided to quit. Death got him before he quit.
“He had no personal gain in any agenda,” said Eric Smith. Smith became the city manager around the time Mike Bowers joined the council.
Work with a man for that long, and you get a pretty complete picture of him.
“He was interested in the community, interested in what people had to say and then responding quickly. He liked to hear what people had to say.
“He saw anywhere from 20 to 40 patients a day, and he loved that.”
Dr. Mellow had a huge optometry practice. Likely because he was good at listening and good at responding.
If a patient was on hard times, Dr. Mellow often forgot to send out a bill. It wasn’t charity. He just forgot.
In all those years, Smith never saw him fly off the handle.
And he always focused on making sure the basics were covered — the potholes filled, the water clean, the sewer running, the streets safe.
“That’s what is important to the citizens,” Smith said.
He was in awe of Bowers’ ability to lead.
“His management style was through consensus. He always brought something thoughtful to the table.
“He was never overbearing. He was always mild-mannered.”
That did not, however, make him a warm and fuzzy milquetoast.
“He knew when he wanted something done, how to get it done,” Smith remembered with a smile.
“I kept after him one time about hiring an assistant city manager. He finally had heard enough.
“He said, ‘Get over it. You’re not getting one.’
“And I did. You could always count on him to be candid.”
We are trained from birth to be skeptical about our politicians.
Dr. Mellow was never seen as a politician by most of Englewood.
He was a public servant.
I believe another doctor, Dr. Seuss, had folks like Mike Bowers in mind when he said: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
He did make things better.
What more can be asked of a man?
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