Barry Cowsill's body found, victim of Hurricane Katrina

[Deb in IA]

Barry Cowsill, missing since Katrina, 51

By Chris Morris
The body of Barry Cowsill, singer-bassist for the '60s pop act the Cowsills, has been discovered in New Orleans, more than four months after he went missing after Hurricane Katrina hit the city. He was 51.

Cowsill's body was recovered Dec. 28 from the Chartres Street Wharf, according to Dr. Louis Cataldie, head of the state hurricane morgue. The body was identified Jan. 3, based on dental records. A cause of death was not determined.

A Wednesday posting on the Cowsill family's Web site brought the discovery to light.

Cowsill had not been heard from since he left a message on his sister Susan's cell phone Sept. 1. A former member of the Cowsills and the Continental Drifters and a fellow New Orleans resident, Susan was unhurt in the disaster.

With Susan, mother Barbara and brothers Billy, Bob, John and Paul, Barry Cowsill was a member of the popular Rhode Island band that bore the family name. The group charted eight pop singles from 1967-69; its biggest hits, "The Rain, the Park and Other Things" and the title song from the musical "Hair," both reached No. 2 nationally.

The Cowsills served as the model for the Partridge Family, a fictitious family band fronted by David Cassidy and Shirley Jones, whose 1970-74 TV series spawned its own run of hits. He later fell on hard times, and was reportedly set to fly to Los Angeles for alcohol rehabilitation when Katrina hit.


He had moved to the city just weeks prior to Katrina.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

That's pretty sad.

It seems like they would have found and ID'd everyone by now.

 

[Towncrier]

How very sad.

I feared the worst when his family hadn't heard from him soon after Katrina hit New Orleans. My prayers are with the family.

 

[Muffin]

It seems like they would have found and ID'd everyone by now.

If you could see what the hardest hit areas look like, you wouldn't be surprised.

A good friend of mine's brother is still missing. She has initiated DNA testing with the morgue at St. Gabriel and is just waiting to hear from them.

 

[Deb in IA]

How very sad.

I feared the worst when his family hadn't heard from him soon after Katrina hit New Orleans. My prayers are with the family.

Similar thing happened with Alex Chilton (formerly of "The Box Tops" - hit song was "The Letter"). Turns out he refused to leave, fearing looters, and was one of those plucked from his rooftop . . .

 

[EltonJohn]

May Barry Cowsill RIP and rise in glory.

In Jesus' Name,
AMEN

 

[Boston Tea Party]

That's pretty sad.

It seems like they would have found and ID'd everyone by now.

We had a training this afternoon on trauma and the effects that we will see manifested in our students. The presenter said that some of the students are still missing family members or just recently finding out that they have died. The effects of this are going to be long term for so many people.

 

[agnes!]

I volunteered & helped families looking for their Katrina-Missing loved ones. I remember seeing Mr. Cowsill's photo posted on various Internet sites while looking for information on my missing people. I wondered if he had been found. How sad for his family. But now at least they *know*, there is some measure of comfort in that.

Regarding "Post-Hurricane Stress Syndrome"(my word for it, haven't heard anybody else call the Post-Katrina/Rita trauma by this name).
Nobody knows how hard it has been for me emotionally and I am sure it has been the same for the many other volunteers who helped in the aftermath, wherever we were able to be a part of the process. I have never even *been* to New Orleans or to any of the many other places affected by Katrina, but I took this on as something I could *do* to help the survivors. I felt so helpless in the days afterwards until someone who was searching posted on The DIS and I thought "Hey, I could do that!"
And I did. But the emotional fallout has been harder than I could have imagined. Would I become these families' advocate and do Internet searches for hours every day and talk to innumerable media outlets and to many workers at all levels of government and go through all this all over again?
Yes, I would, in a heartbeat. It was the right thing to do.

Knowing what I have learned, unfortunately it does not surprise me that people's remains are *still* being found and and *still* being identified. One person I searched for died less than an hour after going missing from her family on September 3rd. The remains were in the custody of governmental entities/St. Gabriel's Morgue for over 2 1/2 months until the family was finally notified. This woman died in the Medical Triage Area at New Orleans Airport, so she died while under medical care, the chain of custody was unbroken. The reasons for why it took so long for the authorities to notify the grieving family are varied but it breaks my heart that they were (seemingly needlessly) put through such an emotional wringer... One reason for the lengthy delay was that the State of Louisiana & the Feds spent time arguing about which government would pay for the DNA tests that were legally mandated as part of the reclaiming remains process.

Prayers for the Cowsill family and friends. I remember The Cowsills from their heyday and their hits "Indian Lake" and "Hair!" come to mind.
Very sad.

agnes!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

So sad for the family.

agnes! was our saving grace after Katrina hit and found our missing relatives for us after I posted on the DIS. Hugs, agnes and many thanks again!

 

[DISNEYWORLDBORN2SHOP]

My DH's great-uncle died in a nursing home in Chalmette during Katrina. The family knew he died b/c the nursing home workers wrote the resident's names on their sheets before the workers evacuated. However having the body identified at St. Gabriel's was a nightmare. They lost the DNA samples they were given twice. His body was finally identified a month ago from some old dental records. Getting St. Gabriel's to release the body is another long process. I feel for families who are not sure where their loved ones are and are waiting on St. Gabriel's. I bet it will be 2 years from now before everyone is identified.

 

[agnes!]

I am so sorry about your relative. Was he at St. Rita's?

Here are some strange stories @ St. Gabriel's & the (Find Family)National Call Center..
Someone from the (Find Family) National Call Center called me just this week (I think it was Monday) Somehow I was in their database as next-of-kin for a woman who died at St. Rita's! I'm *not*, I was just helping another volunteer who was assisting an elderly gentleman whose sister died at St. Rita's. This man knew his sister had passed away, he just needed to know how in the world to claim her remains. So I had contacted both the Morgue & the Call Center to ask.
And the Call Center was contacting me to get a DNA sample from me as the supposed next-of-kin!

And my last missing-person's family had St. Gabriel's call them up about two weeks before she was 'found' asking them to submit DNA samples. Ummmm, they already *HAD*, several weeks previously.

Sadly, I agree with you. It will be YEARS before all the remains are identified. And the whole thing seems so strange to me... I mean, I understand many performed heroically in the aftermath of Katrina & Rita. I understand that folks were/are under immense pressure and have undergone unimaginable trauma.
But I don't understand how it is possible for the military to deal with mass casualties and yet....and yet...the (Louisiana) civilian authorities *cannot*. So many families have needlessly suffered, so much effort has been wasted...
It makes me so sad, that's all.
I still pray for those who are gone & the loved ones who survived their passing.

agnes!

 

[DISNEYWORLDBORN2SHOP]

Yes, he was in St. Rita's.

 

[agnes!]

I am so sorry.

agnes!

 

[mannasn]

That's pretty sad.

It seems like they would have found and ID'd everyone by now.

Recent news stories have indicated that 3,200 people are still "missing." So sad.

 

[agnes!]

Yeah, it is hard to believe, that 3200 people are still unaccounted-for.
The last time(about six weeks ago) I spoke to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the National Center for Missing Adults(both of which are non-profit, non-governmental groups, mostly run by volunteers) the missing numbered in the *thousands*. So at least the numbers are coming down.

I think it's certainly possible that some of the missing are alive, but don't want to be found. Maybe they started over somewhere, maybe they had a criminal background, maybe they were fleeing an abusive relationship...but I still think that *MOST* of the Katrina-Missing are missing and presumed dead, battlefield casualties of the worst natural disaster to ever hit the United States. I think that the Federal Government should make the search for the Katrina-Missing a national priority. When myself and others contacted various Federal law enforcement agencies on multiple cases, most of us received very little assistance.

agnes!

 

[Taqwus]

That's pretty sad.

It seems like they would have found and ID'd everyone by now.

From last I heard they are still about 300 people still unknown