Passing of John Bowdler (1925 – 2009)
NPS Digest Daily Headlines
May 4, 2009
By National Park Service
Washington, D.C.
John P. Bowdler, retired head of the National Park Service’s office at the National Interagency Fire Center, passed away on April 19th at the Idaho State Veterans Home.
John was born in Elyria, Ohio, on September 19, 1925 to Wilfrid and Alta Bowdler. He graduated from Elyria High School, then taught high school for a short time in Elyria.
John enlisted in the Army on December 28, 1943. He was in the 1274th Combat Engineers, which was attached to General Eisenhower’s headquarters in England. The outfit later moved on to France and Belgium.
After the war, John went to Indiana State University, graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1951. He then worked as a park ranger at Morristown, Crater Lake and Sequoia before moving to what was then the Boise Interagency Fire Center.
John met his wife, Dee, in 1979, and they were married in 1983. He retired from the NPS in 1987. John and Dee then owned and operated the Homewatch Home and Pet Sitting Service for 13 years.
John was preceded in death by his father, Wilfrid, mother, Alta, and brother, Bill Bowdler. He is survived by his wife Dee; John’s children, Jay (wife Jani); Reg; Scott (wife Lori); and Becky; their grandchildren, Rex Bowdler, Holly Cybulski (husband Neal), Sara Holtberg (husband Randy), and Anna Bowdler; great-grandchildren, Ellie and Emma Cybulski, and Kyle and Cody Holtberg; Dee’s children, Linda, Tim, and Tom; and their extended family Denise, Joel and Boris; nephew, Dicc Bowdler; nieces, Sheri Kevan (husband John), and Robin Tester (husband Tim).
In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Idaho State Veterans Home, 320 Collins Road, Boise, Idaho 83702. Condolences for the family may be submitted online at http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=6549951608128
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