In Memory

William E. Bowers

William E. Bowers (Bill Bowers) passed away iin June of this year. Many will remember Bill from Castro Jr. High, Blackford, and Westmont where he played varsity basketball. Bill and his family lived behind the current Paseo de Saratoga shopping center when it was a sprawling walnut orchard.  Bill was a fun loving guy and always enjoyed playing pick up games of whatever sport was in season.  I lost contact with Bill after high school, but I still recall growing up together in the same neighborhood.   

Classmate Ray Albin, October 3, 2020

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Here is Bill's obituary from the flintoffs.com website:

"William Edward Bowers passed away in the early hours of the morning on June 1, 2020. Given his great devotion to Our Lady, it is fitting to acknowledge that this was the feast day of Mary, Mother of the Church. William "Bill" Bowers was born on May 19, 1947 in Olean, New York to parents Richard and Virginia. Bill was the second child of seven and grew up with two brothers and four sisters. In 1958, the family moved west eventually settling in San Jose, California. Bill later became an entrepreneur and successful business owner in California and later Washington which led him to appear on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in 1984. Beginning in 1973, Bill embraced a new journey that would shape him to be the man for which we most remember him. Bill married Diane Maher and began to build his loving family starting with the birth of his first child. From 1973 to 1986, Bill had ten children, two of whom are in Heaven. Bill had always been heavily involved in sports, particularly basketball. According to his siblings, Bill was rarely seen without his basketball, and his passion for the sport would continue to play a substantial role throughout the rest of his life. While raising eight children and running his own business, Bill coached basketball at the elementary, middle, and high school levels for roughly 30 years. The impact Coach Bill had left on some of these student athletes was profound, and he particularly gravitated toward the most broken and hardened of hearts. Bill saw the good in every person he met, and even if the good was not so readily apparent, Bill worked diligently to bring that good out. To this day, those individuals still remember Bills benevolence. Aside from his children, Bills three favorite topics for discussion were politics, religion, and Gonzaga basketball. Every blessed phone conversation with his children or siblings involved at least one of these topics. March Madness was the most wonderful time of the year for Bill, and although he could cite statistics and share knowledge about each players background, Bill nevertheless consistently failed at bracketology. As a Roman Catholic, Bill had a particular devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He spent countless hours reading books and watching documentaries on this great moment in history and its profound relevance, especially for the pro-life cause. Bill was extremely passionate about defending life, particularly that of the unborn. It was this value and love of life that he taught his children, and this became the foundation upon which he and his children lived. For 46 years, Bills love for his 8 children and 21 grandchildren was abundant and unconditional. He greeted each one with love and happiness and had a special talent for making each one feel like his favorite. The love Bill had for them was unceasing, and he was always their biggest cheerleader. Bills phone was rarely left unoccupied; he loved spending time catching up, asking about everyones day, laughing at stories about his grandkids, and arguing with his siblings about trivial matters simply for the pure fun of arguing. He enjoyed playing cards with his family, especially Pinochle and Oh, Hell. For reasons unbeknownst to his children, his siblings made him a plaque dubbing him "Mr. Pinochle." He loved reading and listening to music. He regularly watched YouTube clips with his kids. Family gatherings with Bill typically involved joking around and teasing each other, and Bill usually laughed harder than anyone. His infectious laugh will be most missed. Bill is survived by his eight children: Maggie (Rodney) Johnson, Melissa (Daniel) Scollard, Jamie Bowers, Caitlin Bowers, Kerry (David) Ramseyer, Amanda (Ryan) Bennett, Rebecca (Christopher) Schwartz, and William Bowers, Jr., his six siblings: Dick (Susan) Bowers, Tim (Patricia) Bowers, Eileen (Terry) Sutfin, Sheila (Paddy) Drumm, Mary Bowers, Trish Spindler, as well as his 21 grandchildren. He was proud of us. And we are so, so proud of him. A private funeral Mass is being planned and Bill will be laid to rest at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline, WA. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to either 3W Medical for Women www.3wmedical.org or Human Life of Washington www.humanlifewa.org Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest In Peace."

https://www.flintofts.com/obituaries/William-Edward-Bowers?obId=14934280#/celebrationWall



 
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10/04/20 09:57 AM #1    

Gregory B. Carlsted

I'm saddened to hear of Bill's passing. I too lost touch with Bill but he surely had a wonderful life albeit too short. Like Ray Albin, I remember playing pick-up basketball with Bill and his brother Dick for hours and hours at Castro. Thank you Ray for sharing the information.


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