Leland Bowie

Leland Louis Bowie died in Fairfax VA on February 21st, 2 days short of his 87th birthday. All who met Lee remember his welcoming spirit, endless desire to learn, thoughtfulness and humble nature and someone who always strived to connect and make new friends.

Lee was born in Algona, Iowa to Dr. M.C. Bowie and Maxine Bowie on February 23rd, 1939. Lee’s father was a teacher, wrestling coach, large animal veterinarian and entrepreneur. His mother was a teacher, who earned her Masters’ degree in the 1920s, and was active in the Presbyterian Church. Both would instill in Lee a love of exploration and the importance of education which he has faithfully passed down to all he has met. Lee and his older brother, Lowell, had many adventures while living in several small Iowa towns before the family settled in Lake City, IA after World War Two.

Lee had a passion for the Middle East, both its history and culture. A close family friend who was a retired missionary to Syria sparked this interest in Lee through recounting his experiences living in the Middle East. Lee’s love affair with the region blossomed in 1959-1960 during his junior year while attending the American University of Beirut. After graduating from Cornell College, he pursued his passion at Harvard University and the University Michigan, culminating with PhD in Modern Middle Eastern History.

In 1963 he was set up on a blind date with Sarah “Sally” Wilson and it was love at first sight. They were married in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa on August 7th, 1965. Soon after they began to travel the world which took them through London, Paris, and Morocco as Lee pursued his Ph.D. Some could argue this was also a good excuse for an extended honeymoon.

Upon receiving his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1970, Lee and Sally moved to Philadelphia, PA with their newborn son Greg where Lee taught at Temple University. During his time at Temple, they had their second son Mark, and their family moved to Cairo, Egypt for several years due to Lee earning a Fulbright Scholarship. The family lived through the Yom Kippur war and then returned to Philadelphia in 1974, where they later had their third son Todd. It was during this time that Lee discovered his love of Philadelphia sports which he would celebrate to his dying day and also pass to his sons.

In 1978, Lee again moved to the Middle East taking a job with Saudi Aramco and lived in Saudi Arabia for nearly 20 years. During their time in Arabia, Lee instilled in his sons his love of travel and exploring other cultures. They were always amazed that Dad seemed to have friends everywhere as they traveled through Europe, the Far East and of course the Middle East. It was also in Saudi Arabia that they cultivated a network of close friends that become lifetime confidants.

In 1999, he retired from Aramco and settled in Abington, PA where Lee returned to teaching history at the local Penn State campus. Retirement enabled him to become an elder at Abington Presbyterian Church where he also sang in the choir and facilitated its adult education. Additionally, he became involved with the Lion's and Rotary Clubs, as well as hosting numerous visiting Fulbright scholars for meals to encourage dialogue across faiths and cultures.

In 2003, Lee returned to the Middle East for the training and teaching of governance to Iraqi politicians as Iraq tried to transition to a more republican style government. Lee spent two and a half years in country between 2003 and 2010. Despite the physical danger, he loved his mission, but by 2010 Sally had enough of sharing Lee with the Middle East and he returned home for the next phase of his life, grandparenting. However, in the following years he would advocate and work to obtain visas for Iraqis who risked their lives working with U.S. forces in Iraq.

He was a natural grandfather. Lee and Sally maximized every minute by taking their grandkids to every nature park, zoo and playground in Philadelphia. However, no place was better than their house. While Lee could never quite defeat his grandchildren in H-O-R-S-E, he never lacked the energy to throw the football and play street hockey for hours on end. Their backyard was a child’s delight, between the vegetable gardens, the birdfeeders and the raft of animals that traversed their yard. Nearly every visit included attending a Phillies game, during which he would make sure the grandkids always had an ice cream or similar treat in hand.

In 2021, Lee and Sally moved to northern Virginia to spend more time with their 3 sons, daughters-in-law, and 4 grandchildren. They continued to make friends and were a frequent presence at their grandchildren’s school and sports events. Lee is survived by his wife Sally Bowie, his brother Lowell, and his three sons Greg, Mark and Todd, as well as their wives Maria, Kelly, and Jaime, and Greg's son Gunnar and Todd's children Amelia, Andrew, and Michael.

Lee had the heart of a servant who took joy in helping and facilitating those experiences that brought others joy. He was knowledgeable in many different areas and always asked questions to help him better understand a subject or position. The love of his life was his wife Sally whom he served faithfully and passionately every day he was with her and celebrated 60 years of marriage in August of 2025. His sons learned volumes about servant leadership, eternal curiosity, and the virtues of learning from others who have alternate assumptions of the world and its events. He will be greatly missed and will be the source of tales and conversations in his family for years to come. He is gone, but will not be forgotten.

Ma'a salama Dad.