John Frederick Bowker

John Bowker was the gentlest of souls, the kindest of men -- a person with a constant twinkle in his eye. His family adored him and were grateful to be with him at home when he passed early on the morning of October 15, 2026, with a view of hummingbirds and fall colors.

John was born in Wolf Point, Montana on March 11,1938 to Maurice and Gladys Bowker. His father passed away when he was thirteen, and John always said it took a village to raise him. He and his older brother, Bob, operated Hamm radios and built many things together. He loved going to the restaurant his grandmother owned in town, where they shared a mutual appreciation for Limburger cheese and liver pǎté. And thanks to a highway patrolman who granted him a conditional license to drive to the airport, John became a pilot at age fourteen, before he had an official license to drive. Flying became his passion; he bought his first plane when he was sixteen, a Piper Cub, with money he had saved from his job as projectionist at the local theater.

He never forgot the adults who made a difference in his life, and always stepped in to help young people along their paths whenever he could. He was a generous man.

John attended Montana State College in Bozeman where he got his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. At this time he had a Cessna 170 Taildragger, which he flew to pick up Carol, his blind date, from EMC in Billings.The two continued dating long-distance, John buzzing Carol’s house in Fromberg to let her know when to pick him up from the airport. Carol always laughed about the whole town (of 350 people) knowing when she had a date. They married in 1963.

John and Carol moved from Bozeman to Edmonds, where John was employed by the John Fluke Manufacturing Co. as the head of the newly acquired Fluke Time and Frequency group. A problem solver by nature, he always strove to make things work better. Seeing a need in the lumber industry to measure rough logs quickly and accurately, in 1970 he was the founding member of a company named Opcon, Inc. which made products to address that need. Opcon pioneered the use of light-emitting diode (LED) photoelectric control systems, allowing sensors to work in rough environments. He and a partner started Opcon in the basements of their homes, and eventually moved the business to what is currently the Underwater Sports building on the Edmonds Waterfront. Two years later they moved to an industrial park in Everett. After Opcon was sold, John worked for Crista Ministries and then Shoreline Community Church in the role of Business/Finance Administrator.

John created a dream childhood for their kids in Edmonds. He built a kid-sized boat, a playhouse, and a plane complete with controls and a foam propeller run by an old mixer. John always had a stash of candy—in a drawer or a closet—that his kids were allowed to “find.” For Saturday breakfasts, he would make pancakes for each letter of his kids’ and grandkids’ names, sometimes standing for hours at the griddle. His children grew up thinking “The Montana Grandmas” were just five hours away, because they would pack gingersnaps and board their Cessna 210 at Paine Field in Everett, fall asleep, and magically wake up at their destination 900 miles away. Forced landings were turned into eating adventures, snow adventures, or motel swimming adventures.

He was also an avid gardener, known for growing corn. Everyone understood that eating the first tender corn of the season was serious business: you started the water boiling before heading to the garden, and if you dropped an ear coming back, you didn’t stop to pick it up (lest the sugar turn to starch). He had strong ideas about the process of eating it (first, before anything else, slowly).

A man of strong faith, for the past 23 years he was an active member of Mill Creek Community Church. He was grateful for the ways Pastor Rob Jansons strengthened his understanding of faith and love.

John was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bob. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol; sister Kathleen Taovs; daughters Angela Griggs (Lewis) and Marjie Bowker; son Brian Bowker (Kristi); four grandchildren, Devon Griggs (Michaela), Nolan Griggs, Megan Fuhrman (Jimmy), and August Bowker; and two great grandchildren, Shiloh and Olivia Fuhrman.

A memorial service is planned for January 2, 2027 at 12:00 at Mill Creek Community Church in Bothell. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to Mill Creek Community Church or to Kids in Transition for the Edmonds and Everett School District.