Richard Paul Bowman

Aug 17, 1926 - Apr 30, 2021

Richard Paul “Dick” Bowman, (aka “Pop”) died April 30, 2021 in Hillsborough with family by his side. He was 94 years old. Blessed with a life of extraordinary friendships and good times, he will be missed by his beloved wife Donna, his close-knit family and his wide circle of friends. He was a true gentleman, cared about people, and befriended all ages.

He was born in Oakland in 1926 to Catherine Searles and Joseph Vernol Bowman. He had an older brother Joseph. At the age of two, Dick lost his father to pneumonia and the family moved from their Livermore home, eventually settling in Berkeley with his maternal grandparents. Dick attended John Muir Elementary School. At the age of 8, his mother was tragically killed in an auto accident while on a business trip in Los Angeles. The brothers continued to live with their grandparents and moved to Ross in 1937 where Dick attended Ross Grammar School. Dick enjoyed sharing the fact that the school closed on the first day of fishing season every year since the students wouldn’t attend anyway. Around this time, his grandparents passed away and he moved to San Francisco with his aunt and uncle and graduated in Lincoln High School’s first class in 1944. With WWII in full force, Dick enlisted in the US Navy. After his military service, he returned to the Bay Area to attend college at UC Berkeley. He was a very active Golden Bear. He joined the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, like his father, and was a member of several organizations including Skull & Keys & Beta Beta. He played rugby at Cal and later played with a Cal Alumni team.

After college, he settled in Berkeley and started working in the hardware industry, later transferring to Los Angeles. During this time, he reconnected with Donna Cochran, a friend from Cal, and the love of his life. A courtship ensued and they married in 1954 at the Cochran family ranch, “Windy Acres,” in the San Joaquin valley. They then settled in South Pasadena where they started their family where three of their five children were born: Lindsey, Paul and Bill (who died as a baby).

In 1960 the family moved to Hillsborough when Dick was offered a position as a retail broker in Paine Webber’s San Francisco office.

Two more children would follow: Victoria and DonnaMoore. In 1982 he joined Hambrecht & Quist where he stayed for 20 years. As the industry consolidated, he worked for several other firms until finally retiring at the age of 89! Dick loved working in the financial district, meeting with clients and joining his colleagues for lunch at Sam’s.

Dick was very involved in his children’s lives. His sons fondly remember when he served as Scoutmaster of Troop 6 leading backpacking trips through the Sierras. He shared his love of fishing, skiing, and golf with his family. In the early years, summers were spent at “Meadow Ranch” on the Bitterroot River in Montana, and winters were spent skiing in Tahoe. In later years, Dick would introduce his family to the beauty of Sun Valley.

He was an active member of his community and served proudly on several boards including Edgewood Center for Children and Families. He was President of the Burlingame Country Club, and a 50-year member of the Pacific Union Club in San Francisco.

Dick was known for writing witty poems and loved sharing them at any celebration! His Dr Suessian doggerel captured the hearts of many.

He and Donna loved travelling across the globe. His last major trip was in 2019 to St Andrews in Scotland with family to visit his grandson who was starting University there. Although he could no longer play golf, he enjoyed watching golfers on The Old Course from his hotel window.

He is survived by his wife Donna; his children Lindsey, Paul (Christine), Victoria Lowdon (Todd) and Donna-Moore Abrahamson (Eric); and grandchildren Chelsea Bowman, Catherine Lowdon, Hunter Lowdon, William Lowdon and James Lowdon. At Dick’s request, there will be no service. Donations may be made to a charity of your choice.