Long-time YPG employee is remembered for dynamic personality
Long-time former Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) employee Mara Bowman passed away on April 16 of complications from COVID-19 while visiting her family in Italy. Mara’s career started in the United States Air Force serving her country and continued on as Department of Defense civilian YPG. Mara recently retired in December 2019.
I’ve heard it said that the best way to honor a life is to reflect on how it was lived.
Mara loved dressing up for Halloween, but didn’t limit her dress up shenanigans to just one day a year. At almost any event held on or off YPG, she usually showed up in some sort of wacky costume to light up a room and put smiles on people’s faces. She never failed at grabbing your attention and making you smile.
Mara lived her best life plain and simple. One meeting with her and you would never forget her. She was kind, spunky and wild but serious when the job needed to get done. She may or may not have been in costume because with Mara you never knew. The zany woman loved her many personas.
Born and raised in Italy, Mara had a love of fine wine and excellent cuisine. Mara enjoyed FaceTiming with her daughter Chenoah in Italy as they cooked together. She could cook up a storm and shared it willingly with her friends here in Arizona along with her knowledge about wine and how to pair it with complimentary foods.
Family was of utmost importance to Mara. Her love of her children and grandchildren was often a huge topic of conversation. Her heart was proud and it swelled during those talks. Locally, she counted her beloved dogs and companions Frittola and Tasha as family and they were often included in her dress up and crazy schemes looking spiffy in their own costumes. Even her little Fiat, which she named Luigi, sometimes sported eyelashes and a big red nose. She loved her little Italian car and often entered it in many car shows including Midnight at the Oasis.
She turned her circle of friends into a beautiful mosaic that became her Arizona family. Her friendships were far and wide as during her travel adventures, she made friends all over the world.
She was kind, compassionate, and full of love and light along with having a witty personality. She was a firecracker with a zest for life. It’s been said that a life that’s been loved is a life that’s been lived. That is certainly true for Mara Bowman.