Mary Roof Bowman

September 13, 1926 – March 10, 2025

Mary Roof Wessinger Bowman, age 98, of Charlotte, North Carolina died peacefully on March 10, 2025.

She was devoted to her family, friends, church and community. Mary Roof was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, known for her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering support and love for all.

Mary Roof was predeceased by her loving husband of 42 years, Liston Eugene Bowman and her brother Reverend Charles Samual Wessinger. She is survived by her sons David Eugene Bowman and Timothy Justus Bowman (Rose Lynne) and grandchildren Ramsey Leigh Murray (Pat), Mary Kathryn Bowman Choat (Colin) and Augustus Turner Bowman (Claudia). She is also survived by great-grandchildren Bowman Alexander Murray, James Liston Murray, Josephine Adeline Murray, Penelope Xiao Bowman and soon to be born EmmaKate Wessinger Choat.

Mary Roof was born on September 13, 1926 in Vale, North Carolina to the Reverend Bernice Justus Wessinger and Florence Ethel Beam. As the daughter of a Lutheran minister, they moved from Vale NC, to Salisbury, NC, Spencer, NC and then on to Hickory NC. Mary Roof graduated from Spencer High School in 1943 and Lenior-Rhyne College in 1946. She began her 50 year teaching career at Clevenger Business College in Hickory. In 1950 she married Liston Eugene Bowman of Hickory and they moved to Charlotte. She was part of the first faculty at East Mecklenburg High School from 1950 – 1953. In 1958, after the birth of her two sons, she returned to teaching at King’s Business College in Charlotte and was named Teacher of the Year for North Carolina Business Colleges in the late 1980s.

Mary Roof was devoted to God and the support of the Church her whole life. She loved music (singing and piano), and spending family time with her husband, sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She always created time to help with church activities and loved to play piano at retirement homes as a volunteer until she was well into her late 80’s.

Some favorite memories are her making midnight pancake dinners at the Badin Lake and hosting “Gommy” camps for her grandchildren many summers. Mary Roof could whip up a “light” meal for the unexpected guest, which always included a congealed salad with fruit, stew beef, “light” bread and her very famous “Gommy” oatmeal cookies. Her home was filled with warmth, laughter and love.

The family will receive relatives and friends at 1:00pm on March 22, 2025 at Saint Mark's Lutheran Church in Charlotte with the funeral service to be held at Saint Marks at 2:00pm. A brief graveside service will be held immediately following the service at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Saint Mark's Lutheran Church (saintmarkscharlotte.org) or the ALS Association (als.org)