Lois H. Bowman

Lois H. Bowman passed away from natural causes, at home with her family, in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 18, 2023. She was 95 years old. She was a wonderful and much-loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Lois attended St. Ita Catholic School and Mundelein College in Chicago, Illinois. She married 2nd Lt. Richard C. Bowman in 1950. They had five children: two were born in Oklahoma, two in Colorado and one in Massachusetts. In Colorado, Richard helped to establish the Air Force Academy, taught Political Science there and started the fencing team. Lois took care of the five children. She was also a Girl Scout leader.

In 1958, their oldest child had surgery. Lois has said a rosary every day since then, for sixty-five years. She had a long list of people to pray for. She also taught CCD at St. Louis School, and later was active in the Knights Ladies of the Knights of Columbus, especially in helping single mothers obtain needed baby clothes and supplies. She supported Richard in his work with the Knights, and with the Boy Scouts of America.

In the 1960’s, Lois returned to The Catholic University of America graduate school to earn her M.S. of Library Science. She went to work as the school librarian at Groveton Elementary, where she served for seventeen years. She helped countless children learn to love reading. Often, she baked surprises for the children that related to the stories, such as currant buns for the Peter Rabbit story, and poppyseed cakes for “The Green Goose.” She and Richard built a plywood table that showed the route of Paul Revere’s Ride. They also set up an HO train at school for the children to run at Christmas time.

For two years they were stationed in Belgium, where Richard worked with NATO, while Lois took care of the home and entertained diplomatic guests. Three of their children were still at home. The family enjoyed traveling around Europe whenever they could to see the beautiful cities, museums, and historic sites.

Returning from Europe, Lois continued to work at Groveton while Richard continued in the Air Force. They spent many hours with their eight grandchildren and took the family to West Dennis, Cape Cod for vacations, every year from 1980 to 2009. These vacations were wonderful experiences, filled with many memorable activities. Lois also held family birthday and holiday dinners and cookouts. She loved to read to the grandchildren and the great-grandchild, and to go to the pumpkin patch or Oxon Hill Farm with them.

Major General Richard C. Bowman, USAF, Lois’s husband, passed away in 2019. Lois is preceded in death by her mother, Eleanor Petersen; father, Adrian Hassenauer; stepfather, Herbert Petersen; and her sister, Rita Kimball. She is survived by five children, Mary (John) Millikin; Kristin Spencer; Meg (Padraic Flaherty) Runsdorf; Victoria (Chris) Smoke; and Richard, Jr., “Tod” (Cathy) Bowman. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Joe, Andrew, Peter (Farah), Alice (Adam Bucher) and Michael Millikin, and Maggie Bennett; Julia and Sarah Bowman; a great-grandchild, Mya Bennett; and two step great-granddaughters, Nadia and Natasha Ziyaeen. She is also survived by two nephews, Chris Bowman (Geri), and Greg Schuett (Debbie) and two nieces, Lisa Meyer (Greg) and Stacey Schuett, and their families.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

Funeral Mass, November 3, 2023, 11AM, St. Louis Catholic Church, 2907 Popkins Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306.

Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:00 AM.