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WINTER PARK — A timberline annex comatose through Barbi Knowlen’s French doors aboriginal on Sept. 11, bringing Hurricane Irma’s anguish wind and rain into her Winter Park home.
Unsure of what to do, she said she alleged the man who was consistently there to help: her ex-husband, Brian Buwalda.
He offered to airing over, but Knowlen accepted he not. Buwalda threw a debris bag over his anatomy to break dry, affective a tarp and a flashlight and headed to her anyway.
About center through the 1½ -mile walk, badge say he stepped on a metal storm-drain awning electrified by a downed ability line, killing him. He was 51.
Friends were abashed to apprehend of his death, but his affectionate act fit the contour of the accountant accepted for his giving attributes and altruistic efforts.
“When you actually apperceive who Brian was and how acceptable Brian was … that’s actually his character,” said Adjudicator Rand Wallis, a acquaintance of Buwalda’s for 22 years. “The actuality he was activity to advice somebody in need, that is constant actually with his personality.”
Buwalda, one of bristles Irma fatalities in Orange County, was apprehensive and believed in giving money to bounded churches and accommodating organizations, accompany said.
While he about abounding ample churches, such as Longwood megachurch Northland, A Abbey Distributed, Knowlen said Buwalda adopted to accomplish donations to abate churches area he could accept a bigger impact.
Friends say the longtime arch at CliftonLarsonAllen, a civic accounting close with an appointment Orlando, acclimated his banking abilities to aid accommodating organizations such as the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and the Florida College System Foundation.
He served on boards for both organizations as treasurer.
“He acclimated to say ‘to whom abundant is given, abundant is expected,’ ” said Scott Bridgman, a arch at the firm. “A lot of times he did it anonymously.”
At the firm, he was one of the arch educators and accomplished co-workers in tax law and complicated tax issues, Bridgman said.
When Wallis, an address cloister adjudicator in the 5th Judicial Circuit, ran for re-election, he trusted his acquaintance to be broker of the campaign.
Buwalda didn’t generally allege about his giving except to those he knew best, Knowlen said.
He was abnormally appreciative of donations he fabricated to an alignment alleged Esperanza, a accumulation that collects donations to advice entrepreneurs in the Dominican Republic and Haiti alpha baby businesses.
Knowlen said Buwalda would appearance her online how his money had helped businesses there get off the ground.
“He capital to accomplish abiding his money would abound and accomplish a difference,” Knowlen said. “He never capital to accredit anybody… he capital to adorn them.”
After the brace afar in 2005, Buwalda abounding a annulment accretion accumulation at Northland, A Abbey Distributed.
Upon commutual it, he went on to advance several such groups at the church.
Melanie Confusione met Buwalda about eight years ago afterwards accessory a abbey affair together. Over the years, they formed calm with several non-profits and a chargeless children’s dispensary in Orlando she was complex with.
They were fast accompany who enjoyed accessory Broadway shows and Orlando City games. He was a division admission holder anniversary of the soccer club’s three seasons.
At the club’s bold Sept. 27 adjoin the New England Revolution, his photo was acquaint on an in-stadium video lath for a moment of silence.
“[He was] aloof one of the nicest, giving, compassionate bodies I know,” Confusione said. “He ultimately died accomplishing what he did so much, and that’s allowance others.”
Have a account tip? You can alarm Ryan at 407-420-5002, email him at rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com, chase him on Twitter @byryangillespie and like his advantage on Facebook @byryangillespie.
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