Russell Frederick Bowman Jr.

He is survived by the love of his life, Michele Bowman (née Congardi); his children, Anthony (Alison) Bowman and Angela Bowman; his dear sisters, Linda Blackman, Diane (Tony) Wilson, and Joe Bowman; and his best friend, Lee Nunnally (Nahid), and their daughter, Melanie (Paul) Rose. Russ had an unshakable love for his family, his friends, and life itself.

Russ was born on December 24, 1951, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Juanita and Russell Bowman, Sr. At the age of 18, he joined the United States Air Force, and shortly thereafter met Michele at a USO dance. They married that same year, and Russ adored her for their entire lives together. He was quickly named an “honorary Sicilian” by Michele’s family, all of whom loved him dearly. He was particularly special to her mother, Madelyn.

Russ was deeply proud to be a U.S. Veteran and humbly accepted gratitude for his military service.

An avid guitarist, Russ was immensely proud of his guitar collection, which brought him great joy. Some of his most treasured moments were jam sessions with his son Anthony. They also bonded over their shared love of college basketball—especially March Madness—and watched games together whenever they could. Russ also took great pleasure in attending live music concerts. He was passionate about music, particularly blues and rock, with ZZ Top and Tab Benoit among his favorites.

One of Russ’s favorite pastimes was metal detecting, an activity that led to his cherished friendship with Lee. For a time, they managed the Gateway Metal Detecting Club and had a great deal of fun doing so. Russ was always excited about his finds and proudly displayed them.

One of Russ’ most adored places was his back garden, where he spent countless peaceful hours listening to his waterfall and fountain, planting tomatoes, and watching for hummingbirds.

Russ loved all animals and seemed to have an almost magical connection with them. Over the years, he shared his life with many dogs, but his most beloved companion was his Great Dane, Travis.

There are countless ways to describe Russ, the richness of his life, and the remarkable man he was. A few words that capture him best are: selfless, wise, strong, courageous, resilient, funny, generous, humble, kind, thoughtful, intelligent, patient, creative, empathetic, compassionate, gentle, and truly amazing—a friend to everyone he met.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Russ's memory to the Mayo Clinic, Great Dane Rescue, or Whispering Willow Senior Dog Sanctuary would be greatly appreciate by his family. Links to these organizations can be found below.

A Celebration of Russ's Life is being planned. In the meantime, please leave a favorite memory of Russ for his family to cherish at the "Add a Memory" link below.