Judith Ann Bowen

Judith A. Bowen, widow of Harold J. Bowen, died on September 26, 2015 at the age of 91. She is survived by 4 of her 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Death came 48 hours after a stroke from which she never regained consciousness.

A resident of the Kansas City area for nearly 60 years, Judith had emigrated to the United States from Australia at the end of World War II in order to marry Harold, whom she had met during the war. Stationed in New Guinea,

Harold took his leave in Australia. He met Judith at a dance and he never danced with anyone else.

In addition to devoted service as wife, mother and grandmother, Judith held a range of editorial and administrative jobs outside the home. One position she enjoyed very much was her tenure as writer and editor of the newsletter for The Kansas City Advertising and Sales Executive Club. In addition to providing her with an outlet for her deep love of writing, the position gave her a chance to meet leading members of Kansas City’s business community and prominent speakers from around the country. She later took great satisfaction in her position of office manager for the architectural firm of PBNA, a position she held for twenty years, retiring in 1992.

Judith was a voracious reader, devouring fiction and non-fiction by a dizzying variety of authors. She loved sharing books that she found especially good and discussing them with others. She was also a great fan of ballet and theater, and even toward the end of her life would regularly be seen at performances in Kansas City. She passed all of these loves on to her children, who would often attend with her.

Firmly committed to the education of her children, Judith (along with Harold) sent their four surviving offspring to St. Elizabeth’s grade school and then to Catholic high schools in the area. She and Harold attended Mass weekly at St. Elizabeth’s and participated in parish activities such as dinner-for-eight, so long as they were both physically able to do so.

Her Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Elizabeth’s Church at 11:00 am on Wednesday, September 30th.