| Notater |
Barbara Elaine Williamsen Bowes
On Thursday, March 2nd, BARBARA ELAINE WILLIAMSEN BOWES passed peacefully from this world into the next after a valiant five-year battle against melanoma. She devoted her life to her husband and her children and later her grandchildren. Serving as their role model, she encouraged them to strive for success of their own defining and she helped them achieve lives filled with love, happiness, laughter and service to others. Her devotion to others was evident in her service to her community, including her service on behalf of the Woodforest Civic Association, as a Precinct 3 Reserve Deputy Constable, as a Palmer Drug Abuse Center volunteer, as a Baytown Woman's Center volunteer and fundraiser and, for over 16 years, as district coordinator for former U.S. Congressman Jack Fields. In addition to her community service, on an individual basis she was a dedicated "second mom" to countless of her children's friends, her neighbors and strangers alike. She always provided sage counsel and refuge to those in need, including opening her home to abused mothers and traveling to other states to return runaway teens. Her service to others earned her countless private and public accolades, including most recently a Congressional Record tribute from U.S. Congressman Gene Green. Her dedication to others was eclipsed only by her dedication to her family. Barbara, the family matriarch, managed to care for and nurture her three children while also working full-time and attending night school to obtain her real estate license and peace officer's certification. Perhaps the job in which she found the greatest joy and enjoyed her greatest success was as a mother, and she was rightfully proud of her children, each of whom have succeeded professionally and have continued her commitment to community service. One of Barbara's favorite activities in her retirement years was traveling to Louisiana to visit the state's casinos. Her vehicle, seemingly on auto-pilot, frequently crossed the Texas border into Louisiana with her girlfriends and family members in tow. Louisiana's casino owners will likely see a marked decrease in slot machine revenues with her passing. Barbara will be remembered as possessing a humble nobility and a sense of stylebut most of all for her quick wit and good-hearted sense of humor. In the final chapter of her extraordinary life, she inspired others with her courage and strength in the face of adversity and comforted her mourning loved ones in her usual comedic style, leaving them laughing almost as much as they were crying. Almost. Barbara is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, her favorite joke punch line and her primary caregiver over the last 5 years, Bill Bowes, Sr.; her son and friend, Bill Bowes, Jr. and Trisha Richard; her daughter and son-in-law, Suzie and Mark (Bo) Wilburn; her son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Monica Bowes; "adopted daughter" and mother of two of her grandchildren, Debra Bowes; and her grandkids, Kelsey Bowes, Will Bowes, III, Haley Wilburn and Bryan Wilburn. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Chuck and Paula Williamsen; her nieces and nephews, John Bowes, Lisa (Bowes) Young, Bob Bowes, Jim Bowes, Kristy (Williamsen) Rigot and Margaret Bowes, and their spouses and children. She is preceded in death by her parents, C.T. and Harriet (Petersen) Williamsen; nephew, Doug Williamsen; and "adopted son," Leonard Thomas. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., Sunday, March 5, 2006, at Rosewood Funeral Home, Humble, Texas, with a funeral service to be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, March 6, 2006, in the Rosewood Funeral Home Chapel. In lieu of flowers, Barbara has asked that memorial donations be made in her name to either M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Melanoma Research Department, which can be mailed (P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210), made online (www.mdanderson.org/gifts) or made by phone (800-525-5841) or Houston Hospice at the Texas Medical Center, which can be mailed (1905 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030), made online (www.houstonhospice.org/donations.html) or made by phone (800-824-2911). We will all LIVESTRONG and never forget our hero and mentor!
Written about Barbara by her oldest son on March 2nd. 2016:
""10 Things You May Not Know About My Mom" on this 10th anniversary of her passing (in no particular order):
1) She didn't have a favorite child--stating "I dislike you all equally!" or ensuring us that I was her favorite oldest child, Suzie was her favorite daughter and Tom was her favorite youngest child.
2) She was a bad-ass, gun-packing Reserve Deputy Constable in the '70's and chaperoned a number of North Shore High School events, including dances, even before we were in high school. She was liked, trusted and respected despite being an "old person" (in her '30s).
3) This self-proclaimed high school and secretarial school graduate--through intellect, pragmatism, communication skills (written and verbal) and humor--rose to become the District Coordinator for a 20-year Republican Congressman, in the process rubbing elbows (and in some cases cracking jokes at the expense of) the Republican elite of the time, including President George HW Bush, James Baker and then-Governor Bush. Three Congressmen attended her memorial service.
4) She was a practical joker and smart ass. For example, she got kicked out of band for throwing peanuts into the tuba . . . while it was being played. Trying to trip up the aforementioned Congressman, she applied penis-shaped lipstick while he was trying to make a speech. When my 7th grade teacher told her I was a bit of an extrovert (aka unruly smart-ass), my Mom replied with a straight face "I guess that's better than being an exhibitionist."
5) She wasn't a big fan of the outdoors, but that didn't stop her from attending all her kids' (and grandkids') sporting events--mainly soccer--and giving us great family vacation memories, including her last one with us to Disney.
6) She met my Dad when he was invited to eat dinner at my grandmother's house by my Uncle Charlie, who was a classmate at Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy. The were married on campus in December 1962. They were just ~6 years shy of their 50th anniversary.
7) She was an incredible writer who, together with NSHS' Gale Callely, gave me huge advantage in both college and law school . . . helping me survive countless 3-hour essay exams and getting a Law Review article published.
8) She lost her life to melanoma. A small, unhealing wound on her little toe was misdiagnosed by her family doctor as something caused by her high-heel shoe straps. By the time his mistake was uncovered, the cancer was already Stage 4 and she was given 5 months to live. Being the bad-ass she was, she said screw that and fought for 5 more YEARS, including with the help of the heroes at MD Anderson Cancer Center and their experimental trials. (She refused to let Tom and me sue her family doctor into bankruptcy and out of the medical practice.)
9) She literally saved lives, including driving to Oklahoma to pick-up a runaway who called her in desperation and who was threatening suicide. NSHS students she met while chaperoning--effectively strangers--would come to our house in the middle of the night if they were in trouble, feeling depressed or otherwise in need of sage, loving advice. They got a small sense of how lucky we were to be born to her.
10) She is missed as much and thought about as frequently today as she was the moment she passed from this earth. Thank you to her friends and family members who continue to keep her spirit alive through their thoughts, memories and deeds."
|
1942 - 2006 (63 år)