Robert Melvin “Bob” Bowker, was born July 23, 1939. Bob lost his battle with cancer, passing peacefully at his home in the early morning of April 4, 2014. Bob is survived by his wife, Mary D. McKnight, of Rockwall, Texas; a son, Matthew Bowker, daughter-in-law Julie and granddaughter Zoe, of Buffalo, New York; daughter Sarah Bowker of Salt Lake City, Utah; and step-daughters Lisa McKnight of Dallas, Texas, and Andrea Ferrell of Denton, Texas; and his sister, Wilma Peterson of Bella Vista, Arkansas.
Bob was born to Melvin and Gertrude Bowker in Detroit, Michigan. He was married to Judith Hamilton on June 28, 1969, who preceded him in death. He was married to Mary D. McKnight on June 2, 2007.
Bob received a B.S. in Engineering Mathematics at the University of Rhode Island in 1964, and his MBA in Finance at Duke University in 1975. Over the course of his career, Bob was employed by United Technologies, Xerox, and several other Fortune 500 companies in the management of information systems, financial planning, and corporate strategic planning activities.
Bob possessed the unique ability to predict extreme fluctuations in the stock market. For many years, he published the Business Cycle Monitor Investment newsletter and in 1986, he advised his readers to sell all stocks immediately. Shortly after Bob’s warning, the market underwent the worst crash in over half a century. Again in 2008-09, he alerted friends and family to exit the market and avoid heavy losses that followed. In 1989, Bob authored “Strategic Market Timing” published by Doubleday, instructing investors how to take advantage of turning points in the business cycle.
Bob was always willing to counsel with young investors advising them how to avoid costly errors in investing. Even up to his death, he was leading advisory lists of market advice for friends and family. Bob was a modest and unlikely billiard player who was seldom defeated by those half his age. He had developed his skills following Judith’s death when he organized billiard tournaments.
During his last 8 years, Bob and Mary shared their lake house retreat at Lake Ray Hubbard, where Bob nurtured and fed many generations of wild Mallard ducklings who nested each spring underneath a palm tree beside the swimming pool, returning each spring. Bob safeguarded each arrival of baby ducklings until they were fast enough to survive the trek down the hill to Lake Ray Hubbard. By the winter of 2013, Bob’s “family” of over 100 ducks would fly in for dinner each day at 5:00 p.m. from all directions when he called “Daisy Duck, Daisy Duck!” at the Lake Ray Hubbard boat dock. This kind and loving man will be greatly missed by his wife, family, friends, his dogs Fiona, Pocahontas, Chevy and his flock of feathered friends.
Memorial services will be held at Grove Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 3920 Samuell Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75228, on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at 10:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society or any charity of your choice.
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