Obituary: Bowen, Harry Lee

Age 86

Fri., April 6, 2012

BOWEN,
Harry Lee
(Age 86)

Passed away on April 4, 2012 in Spokane.

He was born August 18, 1925 in Spokane to Wilfred Farmer and Ethel Blanche Jane Bowen.

He attended
Franklin Elementary
School and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School.

During WWII, he served on a naval carrier.

Afterward, he joined the Spokane Police Force in 1949 where he played on the police baseball league.

On July 31, 1949 he married Lucile Hilsen and in 1952 they welcomed their daughter Darlene and son Ron in 1956.

In 1966, he and Lucile started a business called “Bowens Hideout” selling metal detectors and prospecting equipment.

After serving 25 years with the police force he retired in 1974.

He enjoyed hunting during his younger years with fishing being his life long passion.

Harry lost his wife of 59 years in 2008.

The last few years were spent living at the Fairwinds Retirement Community while continuing to enjoy fishing, poker and traveling.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Em, son Ron and wife “Lucy.”

He is survived by his daughter Darlene (Michael) Kelsey; three grandchildren, Cody (Jaime) Rohrbach, Darci (Josh) Miles, and Marc Rohrbach; two great-granddaughters, Riley and Hayden, numerous nieces and nephews, and many “special friends.”

He will be dearly missed.

A time of visitation will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm.

A funeral will be held at the Heritage Chapel on Monday April 9, 2012 at 11am with a graveside service to follow at the Newport Cemetery.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.