Marian (Marion) Alice Cowley

It is with great sorrow that we announce the peaceful passing of our loving Mother, Marian (Marion) Alice Cowley (Bulmer) of Lake Odessa, MI Age 89, on Sunday, February 9th, 2020 in Boynton Beach, Florida.  Marian was the daughter of Allan and Alice (Brisbin) Bulmer and was the wife of 60 years to F. Wm (Bill) deceased January 25th 2011; A great mother to 4 children; William (Bill) G Cowley (Gloria) of Dardenne Prairie, MO; Jan M (Mark) Lachniet of Boynton Beach, FL; Eugene F (Kathy) Cowley, deceased July 25th 2019 of San Jose, CA; and Diane M (Todd) Meredith of Troy, MI;  5 Grandchildren, Mork Lachniet, Mason Lachniet, William Lee Cowley, Nathaniel Meredith and Ryan Meredith; 3 Great grandchildren William (Liam) Cowley; Gabriel Cowley (adopted) and Michaelangelo (Micah) Cowley (adopted).  Marian had a ‘can-do’ attitude and learned to persevere at an early age with the loss of her parents at age 14, growing up with two brothers (Edward and Howard Bulmer, deceased) and being adopted by foster parents George and Elizabeth Becker (deceased).  Marian had a great zest for life. She was a dedicated special education teacher at Lakewood High School and was a key person for starting Eaton-Barry-Ionia (EBI) which advocated for people with special needs. Marian also taught driver’s training and was the first female instructor in the state of Michigan! She was dedicated to teaching in all areas of life, from harvesting our garden and preserving the produce, and teaching sewing for 4H projects. Marian was an active member of the Foreign Exchange club at Lakewood High School and provided a home for many exchange students as well as enjoyed traveling around the world. After retirement she and Bill were founding corporate members to Centennial Acres Golf Course in Sunfield, MI and could frequently be seen on the golf course. While Bill helped form the land, Marian worked as the accountant and cooked for many of the golf outings after opening day. Other activities included camping, skiing, spending time at Tupper Lake and volunteering as tax preparer for AARP in Sunny Grove Park, Estero, FL. She enjoyed playing cards any chance she got. Our mother left a lasting imprint on our hearts.

A Celebration of Marian's Life will be held Sunday, August 8, 2021, 4:30 pm at the Centennial Acres Golf course, Sunfield, MI. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Marian’s name may be directed to the Lakewood Educational Foundation (LEF) https://www.lakewoodeducationalfoundation.org/.