A Lawrence Community Shelter caseworker remembers the man whose body was found lifeless Monday near railroad tracks in East Lawrence as having a “funny” personality and a love for story-telling.

Sally Barlett said Friday that she’d known Rick Bowman, 58, of Lawrence, for the entire nine years she has worked as a caseworker for the shelter. She said Bowman used to “drop in” at the shelter when it was located in downtown Lawrence.

Barlett said she worked with him “when he’d let (her),” but that he preferred sleeping outdoors rather than in the shelter.

“Some people just prefer (sleeping outside),” Bartlett said. “There are a lot of people at the shelter and it can be noisy. But (sleeping outdoors) is not so good in the cold and hot months.”

Bowman was found dead around 4:15 p.m. Monday near an inactive section of the railroad tracks that cross East Eighth Street. An autopsy was conducted Tuesday, but a cause of death has not yet been determined, police said. Foul play is not suspected.

Bartlett said some at the shelter have been reminiscing about Bowman since his death. She said some of his friends remember Bowman as a “great athlete” and because of that he was viewed as “a king in high school.”

Bartlett said she had not seen Bowman since the shelter first moved to its new location at 3644 E. 25th St. in January 2013.

“People he hung out with described him as a great story-teller,” Bartlett said. “He liked to tell stories about his life.”