Charles R. Bowen

Charles R. Bowen, age 83, passed gracefully from this realm on Sunday, January 3, 2016 in Lubbock, Texas after a long, productive, and accomplished life. The family is grateful he is at peace. Visitation is Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 104 W. Market Avenue, Loraine, Texas 79532, with a celebration of his life following at 2:30 p.m. Burial is immediately afterward at the Loraine Cemetery.

Charles Riley Bowen was born September 27, 1932 to Charles Roy Bowen and Mary Alice Riley Bowen and was raised in Post, Texas. After high school he attended and graduated from Texas Tech University, where he was involved in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, the Saddle Tramps spirit organization, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. His love of the Red Raiders continued until his last breath. In the Student Union Building at Tech he met Mary Rose Templeton, the love of his life, and they eventually married on September 18, 1954 in Clovis, New Mexico. They enjoyed a delightful marriage of 52 years, celebrating the milestone Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2004. In the years immediately after college, he fulfilled his ROTC military obligation in the United States Army at Fort Benning, Georgia and then Fort Riley, Kansas where he obtained the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division (the "Big Red One"), 26th Infantry Regiment. Upon Honorable Discharge, he and his young family returned to Texas where he embraced his natural calling to be a public education administrator in various west Texas school districts before becoming director of guidance at Abernathy Independent School District, where he served the community for more than 20 years. Many, many grateful people have stories about how Mr. Bowen helped shape and mold their lives with his special skill at counseling and mentoring, both for post-high school education pursuits as well as for vocational opportunities. The world is a far better place because he cared so much about the futures of Abernathy ISD students.

Upon retirement in the late 1980s, Charles and Mary Rose relocated to her hometown of Loraine, Texas where they both worked for a few more years in the Windham School District of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In his 10 years with TDCJ, Charles worked with Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders) and was supervisor of continuing education; again, working tirelessly and passionately to help the underserved and marginalized to better their lives, with a deft and compassionate touch. In addition to all of these career efforts, he was a committed volunteer fire fighter and emergency medical technician, both in Abernathy and in Loraine, never missing an opportunity to lean into the aftermath of civic emergencies for the betterment of those in peril and distress, always putting their welfare before his own. He was a lifelong Baptist and member of First Baptist Church of Abernathy and then a deacon at First Baptist Church in Loraine. He sat on the School Board for the Loraine ISD. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and served as grand master of the Masonic Lodges in both Abernathy and Loraine. He loved to fish, hunt, and share good times with family and friends, always with entertaining tales, good humor, and a twinkle in his eye.

Charles R. Bowen was preceded in death by this beloved soul mate and friend, Mary Rose Templeton Bowen, on October 26, 2006. In the intervening years, he yearned and ached to return to her, and now he has. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Charles Roy and Mary Alice Riley Bowen, in 1965 and 1974, respectively. He is survived by children Barbara Nell Bowen Gonzales and husband Jake of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Brenda Lee Bowen Kinning and husband Doug of Lubbock, Texas; Charles R. (Buddy) Bowen, Jr. and wife Jan of Georgetown, Texas; Bradley Templeton Bowen and wife Denise of Fort Worth, Texas; sister Mary Nell Copeland of Abilene, Texas; grandchildren Wesley Bewley and wife Amanda; Marshall Bewley and partner Shaun Boliver; Andrea Bowen; Michele DeLange and husband Burke; and Andi Ferguson and husband Kyle; great-grandchildren Wyatt Bewley, Haley Alexander, Kaycee DeLange, Cayden DeLange, Alyssa Ferguson, and Alexis Ferguson; and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, caregivers, and even strangers more numerous than the stars in the west Texas night sky.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Loraine (104 W. Market Avenue, Loraine, Texas, 79532). The family would like to sincerely thank the staff members at Wilshire Place in Lubbock and Hospice of Lubbock; we are particularly grateful to Hospice for Dr. Jeremy Brown and for the tireless and kind efforts of nurse Glenda Mooney.

Our Daddy and Grandpa had a notable quote on his office wall for years that said "I have room in my life for one more friend, and he is everyman." He taught us so much about friendship, love, respect for others, service, and selflessness. Rest in your reward, dear gentleman, and thanks for the lessons. Our legacy is to carry all of that proudly yet humbly forward and to perpetuate those same deeds.