Arthur Allan Bowen was born January 13, 1930, to William Allan Bowen and Roxie White Bowen in Terrell Texas, now San Antonio. He attended Stonewall Elementary, Harlandale Junior High and graduated in 1947 from Lytle High School where he played basketball and football and participated in FFA.
He married Maureen Williamson of Lytle and they raised three children together: Cathy Brister of San Antonio, Mark Bowen of Lytle, and Brenda Schurmer of Palmer, Arkansas.
Employers included first Southwestern Bell, then Kelly AFB and Shell Oil Company. Also during that time he attended part-time classes at San Antonio and South Texas State University receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1995.
Opening an independent insurance agency in Lytle gave him the opportunity to be more active in the community. He served on the Board of Trustees of LISD and served as Justice of the Peace of Precinct 2 in Atascosa County. He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge 379 and received his 50 year pin recently. He was a member of the Lytle Methodist Church.
In 1970 he sold the insurance agency to George Alexander and turned to the oil fields as an inspector for Universal Engineering Services and followed the construction of pipelines for 20 years from Texas to Canada. While their children were young Maureen stayed home to raise them but later joined him on the road to share the travel and time together.
After losing his wife Maureen of 49 years, he married school teacher Patricia Kappmeyer in 1998. They were married on a beach in Hawaii with good friends Ruble and Jeanice Farmer as their witnesses. One night there they all went to see Don Ho at his dance and dinner club where they were introduced along with younger honeymooners. Being much older than the rest of them caused Ho to ask more about themselves. He revealed he had been to San Antonio for his basic training in the Army before World War II and he enjoyed telling of his adventures of nearby Mexico to everyone. Then he sang his famous “Honey Bubbles” and dedicated to them.
It was the first time Arthur had traveled for pleasure and he enjoyed the new experiences. Later that year he accompanied his wife to New York City during spring break when she took her journalism students to a press conference at Columbia University. He did not take to the crowded subways or Time Square but was glad he had been there to see the sites and sounds.
He continued working on the pipeline and Patricia retired from teaching to accompany him. They took side trips to national parks and Niagara Falls in Canada. In between jobs he and Patricia took a 21-day cruise to South America where he discovered his favorite mode of travel was a cruise ship. They then took short cruises to the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. One of his most exciting escapades was a parasail which he reluctantly agreed to take.
A farm boy at heart, Arthur enjoyed the outdoors and spent his last years mowing and gardening at home. He was very active into his 80s and neighbors driving down the road past his house will recall seeing him load the walker in the wagon behind the riding mower before getting on it and driving for hours with the sun and fresh air as his companions. When he could not travel he enjoyed nature by reading about it in his favorite magazine, National Geographic, which he had subscribed to for nearly 40 years.
A fall at home in February began his decline. Another one in May hastened it. After stays at a rehabilitation center he came home under the supervision of Four Seasons Hospice. Two excellent nurses, Mabel Oropeza and Deya Arellano, provided support and comfort for 60 days. He thanked them each time they attended him for their kind and compassionate manners. Being the gentleman that he was to the very end, they were fond of him and addressed him as Mr. Arthur.
But it was his son Mark, in addition to his wife, who was the mainstay of those last months. Besides keeping the lawn mowed and cars working, Mark visited him twice daily. He spent the nights in a nearby bedroom so he could be close to check on him in the middle of the night and early before he left for work, returning at night to continue the cycle. He also saw to his father’s entertainment. They watched old western movies every Saturday morning and relieved good times together. Visits from his sister Carolyn brightened his days as well.
Last Friday he enjoyed watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics, marveling at the size and magnificence of its grandeur. He left this world days later, on August 5 with his wife by his side, holding his hand.
He is survived by his wife, his three children, six grandchildren and his sister. He left this world peacefully after living a long and happy life.