Virginia Cooley Bowe

Virginia Welbourn Cooley Bowe, age 96, longtime resident of Annapolis, died December 30, 2021, at BayWoods of Annapolis, surrounded by family. Born January 23, 1925, in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of Captain Hollis Moseley Cooley (USN Ret.) and Elizabeth Edloe (Welbourn) Cooley. She was the widow of Richard Eugene Bowe (USN Ret.), retired Chairman and CEO of Ellicott Machine Corporation of Baltimore, who predeceased her in August 2001, and she was also predeceased by a brother, Hollis Welbourn Cooley (USN Ret.).

Prior to moving to BayWoods 20 years ago she lived for almost 40 years in Rugby Hall where she was an avid gardener. She travelled around the world to every continent with her husband and family. She was a lifelong parishioner at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis and a long-time member of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.

She is survived by three sons and their spouses, Richard Welbourn Bowe (Meg) of Bethesda, MD; Michael Ames Bowe (Linda) of Belfast, ME; and Peter Armistead Bowe (Barbara) of Baltimore, MD and Naples, FL; seven grandchildren and their spouses, Desmond Bowe, Hollis Hughes (Christopher), Morgan Cohen (Gabriel), Kyle Walton, Emma Bowe, Alexander Bowe (Jennifer), Clara Bowe; and two great grandchildren, Virginia Moseley Hughes and Anthony Armistead Bowe. One grandson, Sylvan Walton, predeceased her.

No plans have been announced for services at this time. Interment will be at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD. In the meantime, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Anne's Episcopal Church.