Eugene Wayne Bowen

On a wintery Wednesday, on January 14, 1925, my dad came into this world-born to Howard and Lydia Gray Bowen. He was born at home on a farm in Plymouth, North Carolina and was to be the first of five children. He was added to the population of the United States during a time that saw Calvin Coolidge as President. The United States census was just under 116,000,000 people. You could buy a new Ford for $366- black, of course. My dad told me that at the age of 7 he drove a Model T Ford and drove a Model A Ford truck across farm fields. His prize possession was a pony that he rode everywhere. Horse and buggy traffic was quite common. At the age of 7, he worked in the general store part-time after school. Dad obtained his formal education in a one-room school house and completed the 11th grade - 8 years in grammar school and 3.5 years in high school. He loved football and held the offensive position of halfback - the one who catties the football on run plays. This worried his mother; she was afraid that he would be hurt! He and his dad were buddies and loved his mother. However, once the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression and economic times became very tough for his parents, his father's personality changed and that close relationship with his dad ended and they were on longer buddies. Many years later they would reconcile.

My dad moved to Baltimore, Maryland at the age of 16 with a family member or friend (I do not know who that person was). From December 1941 to early December 1942, he worked as a driver and salesman for Sanitary Laundry Co. in Baltimore. He entered into active service in the US Navy on 04/21/1943 at the age of 18. He served 2 years, 8 months and 4 days. He received an honorable discharge with the rank of Petty Officer and well as Gunner's Mate Second Class on December 17, 1945. His initial service was on the USS Cates. The USS Cates guarded two convoys carrying American troops to port in Ireland and Wales in the lengthy preparations for the Normandy invasion. Overcoming the treat of submarine attack and the ever-present hazards of the vicious North Atlantic weather, the USS Cates aided in the completely safe passage of critically needed men. My dad served aboard the USS Cross from October 1944 until his discharge. Departing New York in March 1945, the USS Cross called at San Diego before arriving at Pearl Harbor for additional training. The USS Cross then went on to escort vital supply-laden convoys from Ulithi Atoll to Okinawa. My dad was aboard the USS Cross through typhoons that did major damage to the US Navy's Third Fleet in the Pacific. The USS Cross was awarded one battle star for WW II service.

While my dad was still in the Navy, he met my mother through an introduction by his to be future mother-in-law and my parents were subsequently married on May 5, 1944. I was born 5 years later. That marriage continued until my dad's death. My parents were married for over 66 years.

Once out of the Navy and re-settled into civilian life, my dad went to work as a salesman for Taubman's auto parts store in 1946. He then left Taubman's and worked briefly for Western Auto; managing a store owned by a friend of his in Dover, Delaware. However, our little family moved back to Baltimore and my dad went to work as a manager in the Taubman's auto parts store chain. That long association ended in 1968 when Taubman's was purchased by Hi Gear. My dad continued at Hi Gear and was promoted to District Manager with oversight of stores in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. He retired in 1987.

Upon retirement, my dad found himself free to pursue an interest in computers. He enrolled in computer classes at Essex Community College and Howard Community College. His Interest grew and he happily became a part-time computer lab support person for the students taking computed classes at Essex Community College. My dad resigned from that job a couple years ago in order to assist my mother with her health care needs.

On January 11, 2011, my dad passed peacefully in his sleep from this earthly life to his eternal home with God. May the good, kind man rest in peace and be forever joyful in God's presence.rrangements under the direction of Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., Columbia, MD.