This is going to be very hard! To honor my father to whom I love and who I'll see him again. Special things I remember about growing up with my dad, he was always joking, he made it fun, but he always told me, like Willie said, if a job is worth doing, it's a job worth doing right, take pride in your work, so when you walk away from that job you can say that you did it and feel good about it!  
The other thing is he was a man of his word, when he said something he did it and he meant it!  I remember one time we went to Canada on vacation.  I was teasing my sisters and he kept saying, ”Don't do that!" and I did it again. And I kept doing it and he said, "You do that again, I'm going to stop on the side of the road and leave you!" Guess what happened in Canada?  He left me on the side of the road, me and my sisters! That was pretty scary and he did it. So, I am going to leave that there and let my sisters finish it!
I also remember the times that he taught me all about guns.  He built his own guns, he made them from scratch, the stock and everything he did was done with perfection. He took me hunting!  We went rabbit hunting, we went deer hunting, we went elk hunting, we went camping.
You know, I was there when we built my sandrail, which is sitting outside.  We built it from scratch!  We did not build the frame, but we built the transmission, the engine and all the other things that needed to go with it including that wiring and stuff.  He was an amazing man, very intelligent, very smart!  He could build anything!  I was in the house today, there are things in there that most people just wouldn’t make, but he did.  Spatula’s in our house were made, by my dad.  They are not bought, they are made.
I just got to say, “I love him and that I will see him again!”  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

One of his teaching moments*
December 2019,
I was over to my parents visiting one evening.  There was a old waterpik sitting on the hearth that I suspected was either garbage/DI as it had been there for a week.  I don’t really remember how it came up or what really happened but as I remember it I was getting ready to leave and before I knew it dad, mom and I had that waterpik up on the counter taking it apart.  The waterpik had quite working and we were going to fix it.  
Well, the waterpik was taken apart, me and mom was about ready to give up and throw it away (or at least I was) we were having a hard time getting to the piece that need to help.  Dad kept telling us what to do and what to take apart, before we knew it the whole thing was in pieces and we still could not get the things to work, so we took it apart again and played with things, finally it was working.  As we were in the middle of this project, all my feelings were saying just throw the thing away and go buy a new one, let me go home as it was getting late.  But when we finished and had success with this little waterpik, I was grateful for the time that I had spent playing around and being amused by the talent and knowledge of my father.

Taught me was to love God and my fellow mankind, He taught me to have fun.
I love you DAD.


*Blessing
March 1, 2020
I was present when my sister was getting a blessing for some injuries that she had and was trying to recover from as I was sitting there after the blessing, I had this strong feeling that I needed to get a fathers blessing.  I spoke up and asked for a blessing, my dad was a little silent when Randy asked me if I wanted a father’s blessing and I said yes of course.
As my dad prepared himself, by talking and being a little silly he begun.  I was overwhelmed with the spirit that was in the room and that had touched me to the core.  The blessing was short; however, it is the sweetest blessing I had been given that I can remember.  He touched all the things that I needed at that time in my life.  I felt his heart was sincere and that he wanted me to be happy and to have success in my life.  I was overwhelmed with love that my father had for me.

Dad is a character, those who knew him well, also knew he had another side, he could be deceitful, revengeful, and mean when playing games with him. He is a friend to many and a loyal one, He is a hard worker.  My dad stood for things that were right, he loves this country and is proud to be an American.  Dad was accepting of others it didn’t matter who they were. My dad is adventures, took his family and made sure we were having fun. Dad enjoyed us, he had personality, he was a tease.  
Things I will remember are is good qualities…friendly, helpful, gentle, witty, funny, inspired, crafty, spiritual, smart, creative, clever, strong hand, and patient. 


Where to begin…when you have an incredible man you call DAD.
While most of you know that Bill is the “special” child and Nomi is the “golden” child, Sandy and I have felt left out so, I decided that I would take the role of the “favorite” child….no really I believe we were all his favorites.
There is so much to say and so little time.
I thought I would start with the things my dad loves, he loves his family and he showed it by his example. He loves the gospel, he loves homemade rootbeer and homemade ice cream. He loves a good sharp knife, making things work, being in the temple, being outdoors, good old country music.  He loves being a husband and was proud of mom, being a father, watching people have fun.
A Lot of people when they think of Fife they see a mechanic, but Dad is so much more than that….He was a provider, he always made sure all of us had what we needed.  He is a man of faith…Dad has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, even though he did not share it vocally, you knew how dad felt and his beliefs. 


Dad, sometimes kids don’t get it.  When we were younger, we took so much for granted.  We don’t notice the little things that come straight from a dad’s heart -- like when you gave us words of advice, or when you put your hand on our shoulder…  But after we grew up, we finally caught on that, over and over again, you chose to meet us where we were at in life and meet our needs instead of your own -- and he still does.  You are absolutely an instrument in the Lord's hands.  You showed your love in so many ways… in your strong values, quiet wisdom, silent testimony and most of all, your devotion to your family.  I may not be a kid anymore, Dad, but I still love the things you do, and I realize how important it is to tell you how much I love you.  I am grateful you chose me to be one of your children.  💕 Love your daughter!
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My dad was a Scout Master.  He lived up to the Scout motto as in always being prepared. They say, “A good scout is always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do their duty.”  I witnessed this multiple times throughout my life, especially on our outings!  There were also times when I called my dad and asked if I might receive a Fathers or a healing blessing.  When I arrived, he would be preparing, pondering, and searching the scriptures; then he would step away to his bedroom to pray, then he would listen to "Hear Him" before extending the blessing the Lord intended him to extend.  I'm grateful he is a worthy Priesthood holder.  I am grateful that he led by example and that he knew he would find answers and direction to his prayers in the Lord's words,  the scriptures. 

His best characteristics are his silent attributes.  He was a man of action.   Action speaks louder than words.  I only hope I am half the person he is.
I am grateful to my father for his many, many talents & gifts but the one gift that I am extremely grateful for and still am, is his faith, his courage to stand tall and share his beliefs; even if it is by action of his unspoken testimony to me along with helping me understand the true living gospel.

We were talking as siblings the night dad passed and we wished we had asked him to share his testimony, so we could have recorded it, either by a voice recorder or in writing.  We may have missed the boat in gathering it, but I know I have witnessed his unspoken testimony multiple times.  What I shared today was just a few examples.
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I am reminded that “Forgiveness” is an act of Faith and a part of the Atonement.  Daddy  with his quiet, yet powerful subtle action,  re-set my heart right.  A lesson I will never forget and will be able to apply time and time again throughout my life.  I will be forever grateful for and look up to him for sharing his spiritual knowledge.

As we speak about “Faith”, I know my dad was a man of faith.  He practiced the law of tithing throughout his life, which takes an act of Faith.   He encouraged us as children to practice it too.  There was a long period of time when I became inactive in the gospel and was not practicing the lessons that he had encouraged and I had basically forgotten the principles of the law of tithing.  When I'd returned back to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints; I was reminded of the blessings that came with practicing that principle.  There were multiple times that money was extremely tight due to the unfortunate changes in jobs and life issues.  This one particular time, I did not know how I was going to manage.  So, you know how it is when you are in those types of situations, you start to whine to those around you.  Some of those I whined to know of my beliefs and suggested to not practice the tithing principles.  I was torn.  I prayed and fasted, then I went to my dad for advice.  I had a feeling and my gut told me, he was not going to waiver from what he knew to be the truth and of the blessings he, personally, had witnessed in his life.  He encouraged me to continue practicing the tithing principle and to have faith, which I am grateful for him solidifying what I already knew and was doubting at the moment. I have been blessed over and over again in so many ways.   

3 of 4

Dad not only taught me worldly stuff but also spiritual stuff, which I value most.  I am going to share a side that is untold.  I am going to share his unspoken testimony.  When my children were about eight & ten years old, the youngest had just been baptized and was going to be confirmed with the gift of the Holy Ghost.  At this time in our lives, there had been a very painful & dramatic contention between my in-laws and my little family and my dad was totally aware of the situation.  All three (3) families were present at this special event, as we were sitting in our church meeting and as we were preparing to partake of the sacrament, I witnessed and remember watching my dad open up his scriptures and start reading where it opened without turning a page.  I know, now, that our Heavenly Father had a guiding hand as to where those scriptures opened, by the time the priesthood completed passing the sacrament, my dad handed me his scriptures.  Now, I do not know which book he handed me to read because I was not active, at all, at the time.  I do know, one book was his bible and one book was his triple which contained the Book of Mormon, D&C and the Pearl of Great Price.  You know it really doesn’t matter which book because the set of scriptures that he had me read is found in both the Bible & the Book of Mormon.  I am sure you are wondering what set of scriptures did he have me read; well it was the Lord’s prayer, which can be found in both Matt 6: 9-13 and in 3 Nephi 13: 9-13.  It reads: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and glory, forever.  Amen.”  I was taught, learned and was reminded of an extremely important lesson at that time about the gift and the power of “Forgiveness”. 
2 of 4

I want to speak of my dad’s silent attributes and talents.  In my youth you never went out to the garage to ask daddy a question or to visit because, if you did, he would put you to work removing piston rings from the pistons of VW engine or wiping & cleaning his tools with a little solvent and a burnt orange mechanic rag and or sweeping the garage floor.  In my eyes, one of his many talents was being our teacher; and as you can see there were lessons in just going out to the garage, such as a house of order, no idle hands.  He was always teaching.  I remember a time when I had a school science project that he helped & guided me through; I want to say it was in Junior high school.  We used his vintage mining lanterns for display, example and experiment.  He had me do the research at the library, because the internet was not invented yet.  We required the aid from my Science teacher too.  This lantern had a hook so it could attach to your hardhat. The mining lantern has an upper chamber, which was for water, the water chamber has a valve which connected it to the lower chamber which held the magical “Carbide Calcium”; the magical chamber has a thin gas pipe that led out to the burner tip, reflector and striker. In order to make this vintage mining lamp light up, you filled both chambers, then you would turn on the valve, which allowed the water to drip and meet the Carbide Calcium. When these two (2) components met there was a chemical reaction; they created a form of gas.   Then you would place your hand over the burner tip, reflector and striker, then you would slide your hand quickly rotating the striker which would create a spark, which in turn created light from the vintage mining lamp. The Carbide Calcium has a distinctive order, one you would never forget.   What a mesmerizing science project; what an outstanding teacher. 

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When Jesus was upon the earth 2000 years ago. He gave us 2 marvelous gifts. One was the atonement which he gave to us if we would only repent of our sins. The second one is a gift that he is given to all mankind and that is that we shall live again an be resurrected... and have the opportunity to be together again as a family unit. I look forward to that day.
I want to Thank all of you for coming this day & taking time out of your busy schedule to honor my wonderful father. I love you Mom, siblings & all of my family. I pray that we might be able to work together, to be an eternal family. I'm here for you Mom to help you in any way I can along with my husband. 
I love our Heavenly father, I love Jesus Christ, I love all of you.
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

I'm Nomi the youngest child the caboose. I'm also known as the Golden Child bcuz I didn't get much disciplined as much as the other children. I got away with a lot. As a young adult I was known as the wild child. Those of you that know me know why. The real discipline from my father came when I was an adult a couple of times he had to practice "Tough Love". But he was there for me, I always knew that he loved me. He's in my heart today. I had the greatest Dad as a little girl & as an adult could ever ask for.. The day dad died was a week ago yesterday, the beginning of Father's day weekend. We were all very sad at his passing. We were all there by his side in the home that he built for all of us. We begin the next day by celebrating my dad's life for the wonderful person, father, grandfather & friend that he was by gathering pictures & telling stories & memories of him.
One of my most memorable memories is when we took a trip to Alaska on a cruise. We were all together as a family celebrating Mom & Dad 50th wedding anniversary. Dad would tease us and he had a great ability. It's all in fun. Dad, I will always remember that trip. I will always have a part of my father in me bcuz I love to tease my husband, he says that I make loving fun. Another memory that I have of my Dad, is when I got my CDL, I would meet my Dad who was nearly 80 yrs old he'd ride around with me to check my ability of driving & give me any advise on being a safe driver.  This was a very difficult week for me to know that I will never see my Dad on this earth again in our family unit, he is gone to prepare for the next phase of the plan of salvation.

Remember Fife well and think of him regularly. We met when I worked at Bradshaw Auto Parts, 1960’s, where he was a regular customer. We built Hot Rod Model A pickups together, mostly him helping me. I’m living in Boise now and wish I could share with Fife That I’m still building Hot Rods. Sincere condolences to Lela and all of Fife’s family.  He was a true friend from an important part of my life.

Fife loved to tease us when camping.  He used to put rocks and hide them throughout the camping area and on our motorhome and when we found them he would love it.  I mailed  him an assortment of rocks with  faces and glasses etc. after we got home. He thought we had forgotten that trip , we enjoyed that trip immensely.

Awesome Uncle, and will be greatly missed he will live on in are many memories. All of the camping trips and buggy rides and just hanging out having fun with all my cousins and family . Learned a lot of things from him and my dad while out on these adventures. I will miss him I know we will see each other again.

Love Ya, Uncle Fife

Fife Bowen was such a good man! He was our Home teacher for many years and always brought a spirit of kindness and peace to our home. We enjoyed his  humor, wisdom, gospel knowledge, kindness, integrity, and support over the years. He helped us on a number of projects involving cars, trailers, home repairs, he was so knowledgeable and practical; that not being a trait that gets as much applause as it ought to! 
We certainly grew to love Fife Bowen and will miss his indomitable spirit!  

Fife was like a grandpa to me so many of my childhood memories are with him at the sandunes.. he always made me laugh and feel so special... I always and will forever look up to him. He was such an amazing example of what hard work and dedication to family. His family was everything to him. The love that he had for his wife and kids was something that this world needs more of. If he counted you as a friend you were so blessed.  He  walked along side me during some really hard times when I was younger and I will forever be greatful  for that.  He was a mentor to my dad. A few of my favorite memories will always be of him putting hot coals under my chair when I was cold while camping and making darn goods for dessert... I am honored to have so many memories with him and his amazing family.. 

What a wonderful friend we have lost, but his memory will live with us forever. Fife has a wonderful sense of humor, a quiet presence, and an amazing mind. His talent and skill with mechanics and welding are much admired. He will be greatly missed! We have known and loved Fife for many years as he guided Bill through learning how to be an efficient Executive Secretary, reinforced his skill in mechanics, and taught us both to love frozen chocolate donuts! As our ministering brother, he has always been conscientious of our needs and has come with Lela to our home to make sure we were doing okay. We will always treasure our love and friendship with Fife and Lela, both amazing people! Love you!


My husband Doug and I met Fife and Lela at Little Sahara Sand Dunes in the 1980's, and made many wonderful memories together after that.  I loved Fife's sense of humor, snappy comebacks, thoughtfulness and always his kindness.   We RV'd, laughed, and traveled together through the years.  I will miss him.  I thank you Fife, and Lela, for your years of friendship.  Love you Lela.
God Bless All the Family

We have many wonderful memories of Fife. He's always been willing to share his talents and good advice and helped us make decisions on our cars. We loved the many opportunities to  laugh, eat good food,  and play games together...especially dominos.  We remember his many years of service as Executive Secretary in the 28th ward and admire his diligent service. We love Fife and Lela. He will be missed. 

Love,
Doug and Linda Jones

Fife, 

Where to start.. i will most most His Friendship, his conversation... Just sitting next to a camp fire out in the Little Sahara dunes talking about Life....

I will miss you terribly , but you suffered long enough my friend, it wasn't fair.. 

I am and have been honored to call you Friend......Truly... 

My Dad, Doug Gillespie was my introduction to you and I know that my Dad will miss him terribly as well.  You were friends for many many years .. 

Thank you so much for your kindness, your advice, your sage council and most of all your Friendship. 

You will be missed by so so many for which I am one.  

We say in the Marine Corps, " May you have Fair Winds and Following Seas " 

My condolences and love to Lela.  We are a phone call away if you need anything.  

Most kind regards 

Phil Tomac

Fife was one of my best friends always there to help and share his knowledge ..I have so many good memories with Fife and his family he was always there to give advice and helped me so much I am a better person  for knowing him ,we will miss him and his happy face  I send love and prayers to his family in this trying times

OBITUARY

William "Fife" Bowen III

6 June, 1938 – 18 June, 2021

Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home

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