SAN ANTONIO – Trinity University professor Bert Chandler is mourning the loss of professional colleague and personal friend Matt Rowan following the crash of a hot air balloon near Lockhart, Texas, on Sunday.
Rowan and his wife, Sunday, were among 16 people who died when the hot air balloon basket in which they were riding came in contact with high voltage power lines, crashed and burned.
“In some ways it’s not real yet,” Chandler said. “It doesn’t seem like he’s gone.”
Chandler described Rowan as “one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet.”
“I know everyone says that about everyone, but he really was,” Chandler said. “He was welcoming to everyone and he was friendly.”
He said that Rowan had an insatiable love for life and for sand volleyball.
“He loved to play volleyball and played more than pretty much anyone I can think of,” he said.
Chandler said that Rowan’s love for volleyball carried over to his love for teaching. He was an adjunct chemistry professor at Trinity University.
“His students loved him,” Chandler recalled. “He was laid back, but professional.”
He added, “The number of people and the type of interactions that he had made him an incredibly special person and someone we’re going to miss terribly.”