Son of Julia Lillian (Rock) Foye Whitcomb and Harry Benjamin Bowen. He was the husband/widower of Angeline (Montana), with whom he had one child, Bruce J. Bowen. His second marriage was to Dorothy (Korzun) on Nov. 30, 1946 in Hartford, CT.

He was a longtime resident of Richmond, Vermont, worked as a Master Barber and was a self-employed farmer. He had a leg amputated after a hunting accident & wore a prostethis.

He was a WWII veteran, having served with the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946 as a Tech 4. He received a Good Conduct Medal and two Purple Hearts. He served on the Veteran's Advisory Board for Governor Madeline Kunin, Senator James Jeffords and Congressman Bernard Sanders. He was appointed by Governor Howard Dean to the Veteran's Cemetery Committee, and was founder of the Vermont Veteran's Chapel Committee. He received the Outstanding Veteran's Service Award this past Memorial Day from Congressman Sanders, presented by General Edwards. He was a member of the DAV, VFW, American Legion, RVA and Beacon Light Grange.

He was also a member of Our Lady of Holy Rosary Parish.

His service to the Town of Richmond included Constable, Truant Officer, Tax Collector, Dog Warden, Town Service Officer, School Bus Driver, Cub Scout Leader, 4-H Leader and Civil Defense Coordinator.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, of Richmond; his daughters, Marsha Palmer and her husband Randall of Williston, Mary Houle and her husband Richard of Underhill, Deborah Morse and her husband Ronald of Barnet and Maureen Bowen of Richmond; his sons, Wayland T. Bowen and his wife Penny of Jacksonville, Florida, Mark Bowen of Burlington and Bruce Bowen and his wife Maureen of Millersville, Maryland. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and his faithful dog Buddy.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, July 17, 1997 at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in Richmond. Interment will follow in the Vermont Veteran's Cemetery in Randolph. For those who wish donations in his memory may be made to Vermont Veteran's Memorial Chapel Inc., P.O. Box 2363, South Burlington, vT 05403. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ready Funeral Home, South Chapel, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington.