James "Jim" Bowers

James (Jim) Bowers of North Chatham died peacefully March 24 after a period of declining health. He was 79. Jim was born in Montclair NJ on May 5, 1943, graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1965, and, from 1977 to 2000, he and his wife Mary owned the Chatham Bakery.

After layoffs from engineering jobs with Kodak and Xerox in the early 1970's, Jim moved to Ann Arbor MI, grew a beard and long hair (his mother lamented he was no longer a "clean-cut science guy"), joined a rock band, then a jazz band, and met his future wife Mary. Like many young people at that time, they wanted to travel a different path. Jim took a baking course at a community college in Detroit. They were intrigued by an ad for a bakery - "Beat the Rat Race! Come to Cape Cod!" - in the New York Times. They took out Jim's road atlas, saw Chatham at the elbow, and said "Let's go!" In March 1977, they were the proud owners of the Chatham Bakery. In their hands, it became a much-loved local institution. Everything was made from scratch and every customer had their favorite: the hard rolls, the squash rolls, the tiger tails (only on Sunday), and, of course, the donuts. After 24 years from May to October, they sold the bakery in 2000.

Jim's personality was unique. He was the youngest, and only son, of a family of fiercely independent and opinionated women. As a result, no doubt, he was the opposite: measured, methodical, non-judgemental. For Jim, everything was mildly amusing yet thought-provoking, and he always took a moment before weighing in on any topic. As an engineer, he had an insatiable curiosity and immense knowledge of How Things Work. Always generous with his time and expertise, he was the go-to friend when your computer acted up, the lights flickered, or the furnace didn't work. He was truly an old soul in the best sense of the words. He was playful and mischievous, took great joy in small things, loved the droll humor of Bob and Ray, and never met a corny joke he didn't love. He remained upbeat in his last years of failing health, never complaining, ever optimistic.

Always gentlemanly, unfailingly kind and supportive, Jim is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Crea Bowers, and many devoted nieces and nephews. The family will scatter his ashes this summer in Maine.