It is with great sadness that I share with you that the founder of PtownBears and the creator and Trademark holder of Bear Week Provincetown has passed away this past weekend (May 20, 2023) at his home in Milton, Wisconsin.
John, along with Dave Thompson and Les Wright, founded the PtownBears in 2000 as a social organization to support the Bear community in Provincetown and those who visit the town year round.
Bear Week Provincetown™ started as a couple of dance parties one weekend in July, 2001 with only a few dozen Bears in attendance. The success of the event grew from a weekend of parties to a full week of events hosted at multiple venues across the town. This included walking tours of the town, Bears at the Beach, hikes through the dune trails, charity events to help support the local soup kitchen, Provincetown Fire Department and the Cape Cod Aids Support Group. Local business support the event by offering discounts to attendees wearing their Bear Week Provincetown™ dog tag and many restaurants create special menus or desserts to cater to the Bear community.
John was also an extremely accomplished designer. He owned J.R. Burrows & Company, a text tiles company supplying historically accurate wallpapers, rug/carpets and Irish lace curtains to the public, historic venues like the refurbishing of the Lincoln bedroom at the White House, movie and television sets and celebrities like Anne Rice for her vintage home. John loved the art and designs of the Victorian Era and Arts & Crafts movement. He brought many designs back to life such as the one in the picture above. John was a highly creative man who wanted to preserve the art of the past and keep alive the traditions of the era. He was a passionate supporter and attendee of Victorian events across the country. He participated in the celebration of the clothes and formal vintage balls keeping the dances and traditions alive.
John was easy to talk to and always ready to share stories from his career or as ambassador of Bear Week Provincetown. His joy, friendly demeanor and endearing smile will be greatly missed.
Thank you to everyone for your support of the PtownBears and Bear Week Provincetown over the past 23 years and making John’s vision of a week celebrating the Bear Community an amazing success.
1954 – 2019
Rich was the organizations glue that kept everything running smoothly. He performed multiple duties as the PtownBears’ treasurer, event registrar and all round event coordinator. Rich’s background was project management for 48 years with Shaw’s Supermarkets. So he was perfectly suited for the position.
He was kind, outgoing, always had a smile for you and was a bit of a workaholic. You could always find him by John Burrows side during the entire week of Bear Week Provincetown. He was also John’s partner for several years up until his passing from cancer in December of 2019. John and Rich’s family were by his side to the end. Prior to coming out, Rich was married for 42 years and had 3 children and 8 grandchildren. He was very family oriented and always took time for his family.
Rich is greatly missed and has left an indelible mark on the organization from his great organizational skills and attention to detail.
1958 – 2020
Dave, along with John Burrow and Les Wright, the organization Provincetown Bears and would help wherever he was needed. He was a year-round Provincetown resident and helped carry the banner of the organization throughout the year. He was also part of the crew of the sailing ship that provides cruises out of Provincetown harbor. His partner Tom Goecke was the designer of the Provincetown Bears logo.
Tom was a part of the original group of Provincetown Bears. He is the designer of our logo. His partner Dave Thompson stayed involved with the organization until his passing in 2020.
