Bouman was Special Olympian, Remembered as Outgoing & Athletic

Richard Bouman, , was a 2-time special olympian who was outgoing with others.

"He was quite athletic," said Janet Riley, the executive director for North East, which is a therapeutic reaction center for children and adults with mental disabilities.

Bouman, who was developmentally disabled, competed in two Special Olympics-related events, Riley said. They were in Nagano, Japan in 2005, where he played floor hockey, and Shanghai, China in 2007, where he played softball.

Riley recalls that he was social and that he interacted with others, noting that he would cheer on other athletes. Bouman participated at North East for more than a decade Riley anecdotally recalls. The program is based in Hawthorne and caters to northeastern Westchester County residents.

Bouman played many sports, Riley recalled. Aside from those at the Special Olympic events, he played volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

"He was very physicially active," she said.

Thursday marked a loss for North East. Riley spent the day talking with multiple media outlets about Bouman - in a Journal News report about his life, she described him as "a sweet guy," who was nice and loved sports. Riley told Patch that friends of his would contact the program. 

Meanwhile, a private funeral for Bouman is planned, Mount Kisco's Cassidy-Flynn Funeral Home confirmed. Staff at the funeral home would not disclose further details, including its date.

Bouman's body was discovered Wednesday night after firefighters put out the blaze at 41-43 Highland Ave. Firefighters reported at 9:20 p.m. and about 80 were on site. Bouman was determined to have died from asphyxiation of smoke containing carbon monoxide, according to the county medical examiner, after a Thursday autopsy was done. The cause of the fire was accidental electrical, according to Mount Kisco Fire Chief Tom Jackson, stemming from a faulty outlet in the apartment where Bouman, a resident, was found.

The group home is managed by the , which is based in the village, according to Village Manager James Palmer.

Although exterior damage on the brick, 3-story building was not that visible, broken windows and a fire smell near the front entrance Thursday afternoon served as visceral reminders of the tragedy.