Kay "Pingle" Bowden

Pingle was born in Midland, Texas. She was born with wanderlust. In order to try to see the world, Pingle kicked off that west Texas dust and enrolled in stewardess training with American Airlines, only to get thrown out for getting caught trying to sneak in after breaking curfew!

After a short stint in Provincetown in the mid 1960’s, Pingle headed across the Atlantic for adventures that would take her from England to Australia and eventually Hawaii. During these travels she did all sorts of things, including, but not limited to, being an au pair to the Bank of America president’s children in Switzerland and living on a potato kibbutz in Israel. She was in Guam during Typhoon Mary and she claimed her bar was the last to close on the Island.

Once in Hawaii, she worked at Hamburger Mary’s and ultimately American Hawaii Cruises. In Spring of 1988, she came to Provincetown (again) to work the summer at the Mews Restaurant with three other friends from the cruise line. They all stayed. Pingle had washed ashore. She worked at the Mews until 2025. Many have enjoyed a perfect martini or margarita at her bar, but always served with a big smile and “what can I get you hun?” in her Texas accent. You may even have ended up with a big hug before you were gone from her bar.

Pingle co-parented a son in 1995. Gary Benjamin Rouse was her pride and joy for the past 31 years.

Animals. You can’t describe Pingle without talking about her love of animals, all creatures great and small. She was a dog whisperer. (Although the pocketful of treats didn’t hurt!) Pingle loved going on dog walks with her two-legged and four-legged friends. Dogs loved her and she loved them.

Pingle was the most loving, compassionate, and caring human being. She would be the first person to offer assistance or a prayer for someone ill. The sheer volume of people’s lives that she has touched is immeasurable. Small of stature, but larger than life as a human, Pingle will stay with us forever in our memories.

Pingle was a woman of the world, yet she was so intimate as to make you feel as you were the only person in the room. She will be greatly missed, but lives solidly in our memories singing “Big Ball’s in Cowtown” or dancing to the strains of “Harvest Moon.”

Hopefully, Pingle passed through your life. She met many along her travels. One thing Pingle did not do, was ever meet a stranger.

Pingle wouldn’t have wanted long or sappy goodbyes. So, from time to time when raising a toast remember her, as she would gladly have been part of the fun.

A celebration of Pingle’s life will be held next Spring.

Donations may be made in her memory to Wild Care, 10 Smith Lane, Eastham, MA 02642.