Robert White Bower

Robert White Bower of Juno Beach, Fl. and Berwyn, Pa., died on April 27, 2014, age 81. Bob was born in Philadelphia on February 3, 1933 to William G. Bower and Miriam Kitchens Bower. He graduated from Cornell University in 1954 where he majored in Economics and played varsity football and golf. Following graduation, Bob served as a 1st lieutenant in the US Army, leading an artillery unit in Germany.

In 1957, he married Marilyn Minton and together they raised three children primarily in Radnor, Pa. and then in Chappaqua, NY. At the time of his death, they had been married for almost 57 years.

Bob began his 30 year career with IBM in 1957 as a salesman in Philadelphia. He travelled extensively in Europe, South America, and Asia in support of IBM’s international business, flying so often that he regularly sat in seat “1A” of the Pan Am Clipper 747 service to Tokyo. He retired as Director of Operations, Asia Pacific Group.

Bob’s lifelong passion was golf. At the age of 15, he won the Philadelphia Junior Boy’s Championship and followed that victory with a lifetime of achievement and service to the game. At the time of his death, he was a member of Merion Golf Club, Tequesta Country Club, Pine Valley Golf Club, and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Bob won many club championships including those at Mt. Kisco Country Club, Tequesta Country Club, and Waynesborough Country Club. He won the Senior Club Championship at Merion, the Pine Valley Plate at the R & A Autumn meeting , and innumerable other amateur competitions.

Bob loved to fly, eventually gaining his pilot’s license in the mid-1980s. The appreciation of the arts had a special place in his life - especially music, dance and painting; his own art was the game of golf.

Bob’s other great love was his family. In retirement Bob doted on his grandchildren and relished the holidays when everyone could be together.

In addition to his wife, Bob is survived by his children Robert Jr., Sara Lynne and Marianne; his daughter-in-law Nancy MacPhee Bower; his grandchildren, Margaret, Frederick and Katherine Bower; his sister Joan Bower Coale; and his brother, William Bower Jr.

A memorial service will be held Friday May 2nd at Good Shepherd Church, Tequesta, Florida at 1:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jeffrey A. Coale Memorial Scholarship Fund, Episcopal Academy, 1785 Bishop White Drive, Newtown Square, PA 19073.