Emory "Buddy" BOWEN Jr., 80; Retired Navy CPO-E7, NAVCOMPARS Systems Trainer
Memories posted below obit
Published in The Tennessean on November 30, 2010
Available at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tennessean/obituary.aspx?n=emory-bowen-buddy&pid=146859986
Griff Harrison sent link 21 Apr 07
BOWEN, JR., Emory "Buddy" Age 80.
He was born to the late Emory and Frances (Jones) Bowen of Davidson County, TN. He passed at his home in Goodlettsville, TN on Sunday, November 28, 2010 under the loving care of his wife and youngest son Roger, with the help of Alive Hospice.
He leaves to cherish his memory, a loving wife of 49 years, Roberta Bowen; sons, Kenny (Lisa) Bowen, Roger Bowen and granddaughter, Kristi Bowen (Todd) Lincoln, all of Goodlettsville, TN, along with his sister, Betty Vickery (Tom) Whitten of Greenbrier, TN; mother-in-law, Myrtle Wherry of Goodlettsville, TN and brother-in-law, Don Wherry of Stanton, CA.
Buddy was born and raised in Nashville. He was a 1948 graduate of Morgan Prep School in Petersburg, TN. He was a proud member of the US Navy, Veteran of the Korean War and was involved in the Bay of Pigs. He retired as a CPO-E7 from the Navy with 20 years dedicated service, with many medals to his name, with an additional 17 years of service to the Department of the US Navy.
He was a lifetime member of the VFW, Dale City, VA post. He was an avid fan of live bluegrass and country music, along with always rooting for University of Tennessee sports, Titans football, Braves baseball and loved to go to the Nascar races.
Funeral services will be on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 6 p.m., with visitation from 3 until service time at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 1150 Dickerson Road, Goodlettsville, TN 37072. Private Military burial to be held at Middle Tennessee Veteran's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203.
Online Guest Book Entries
~ Roger Bowen, Goodlettsville, Tennessee November 30, 2010
He was my father, my friemd, And taught me some very important lessons in life. When you love, LOVE, when you laugh, LAUGH, and there is NO medicine like good live music. He also instilled a great family value, and an incredible work ethic. Having read his service record, only made me more proud of him than I always was. I love you Sparky, and miss you terribly.
Love, Your son, Roger
Debbie Newbern
I only knew Buddy for 7 years but what I knew of him was wonderful... Always smiling and having a good time...Enjoyed life and I enjoyed being around him...He was a member of the Madison Elks lodge and a great one at that. Racing, Talladega, Buddy was there.. You will be missed Buddy
Joy Cuatt December 01, 2010
what can you say about a man that was always laughing or smiling?? He loved his family, the Navy, Nascar, bluegrass and sports...almost in that order... I will miss ya...thank you for just being you.
~ Chris Hester, Mechanicsville, Maryland
We send our deepest sympathy to Roberta, Kenny and Roger. I am going to remember all the good times, at Kelly's, at the stock car races, and especially the motorcycle rides he took me on. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.......Jan and Randy Tabit. December 03, 2010
Bo was one of the best people I had the pleasure of knowing. I worked with him in the 80's at Cheltenham and he was fun to be around. In the last few years I would buy a few of his Richmond NASCAR race tickets and that is where we would meet and always had a great time. A few years back Joletta Rankin and I made a trip to Nashville to visit Bo and Roberta and he showed us the best time ever. I will never forget you my friend and will miss you for as long as I live.
~ Charlotte Holman, Hermitage, Tennessee December 04, 2010
thoughts & prayers with the entire family during these days. May you find peace with these past few days of difficulties.
~ Bruce Miller, Pomfret, Maryland December 06, 2010
I met Bo soon after arriving at the Washington Navy Yard in early 1973 straight out of Navy boot camp and “A” school. I was assigned to work on the LDMX and NAVCOMPARS military communications systems. I was the youngest of a group of mostly other young programmers responsible for automating Navy communications. I was totally intimidated by the people and the work I was being asked to do. While I had two years of computer related training and felt I could eventually understand this aspect of my job, I was not at all ready for the new terminology, procedures and rules that made up Navy communications. When I started hearing terms like “SOM, LMF, OPSIG, SSN, OSRI, TOF, NARC, RI, ODTG, F/L 1, F/L 2, … F/L 16, AUTODIN, broadcast, F/P, CUDIXS, etc” they may as well as been speaking Chinese to me for I understood none of what I was hearing. So fortunately the management knew that this group of young and still wet-behind-the-ears programmers needed people with Navy communication backgrounds to help us define what and how these new systems would automate Navy communications. Bo was one of several retired Navy chiefs hired to help the rest of us understand what we were trying to do. Bo was easy to work with although you knew that when you did go to these folks you were going to take some ribbing especially a young sailor who had never even been aboard a ship but that made it all the more interesting to work on these projects. Someone I know always liked to say “if you like your job you never have to work a day in your life”. I was fortunate to have a job like that for the first half of my career and Bo was one of those folks who made it a special place to work. He was always cheerful, made you laugh and was willing to help anyone who asked. My condolences go to Bo’s family.
Jeanine Baxter December 06, 2010
Our prayers are with you. Thank you to Kristi for sharing so much of grandpa's life with us, it was as if we knew him thru her. Love to grandma also. Grandpa is now resting in peace in the arms of our loving God.
Frank Hudson, Chelsea, Alabama
To the Bowen Family; I was sadden to hear of Buddy's death. I knew Buddy back in the 1940's while attending Morgan Prep School in Petersbury, TN. I saw Buddy the last time in 2009 at the Morgan Reunion. I always enjoyed talking to him and another friend of his, Ed Payne from Nashville who attended Morgan at the same time. Buddy and Ed enjoyed basketball at Morgan. I know he will be missed by his many friends.
~ Frank Hudson, Chelsea,, Alabama December 03, 2010
~ John Crocker, Port Orange, Florida |Contact Me December 03, 2010
I worked with Bo at the Navy Yard. We enjoyed many a joke and a couple of Christmas parties during my assignment. A good friend and a true leader.
~ Joe Davis, Homosassa, Florida December 02, 2010
I first met Bo around the same time we geared up to build the first LDMX/NAVCOMPARS at the Washington Navy Yard (around 1970-72). Bo, Jim Clippard, Charley Miskell were some of the other retired Navy Chiefs who came aboard with Bo. As Bob Hinson said, Bo was a grreat worker, a super party man, an all around good guy who loved his family and his friends. I have so very many good memories of Bo, from the Washington Navy Yard, his home in Dale City, the Shamrock in Georgetown, some great NASCAR races, and many work trips all over the world. I share those memories with his wonderful wife, Roberta, to whom I offer my most heartfelt sympathy at this time. Roger, I remember you as a little boy, and I know how proud Bo was of you. You sound like a chip off the old block. One of my fondest memories of Buddy...A Penn State vs Tennessee football game...Bo took Autodin Andy and me down to Tenn. to see the game...We made a bet..bottom line was I gave Bo a bottle of bourbon every Christmas for several years..but I would decorate the
bottle with PSU and Joe Paterno memoribilia. I know how much we will all miss that wonderful man.
~ Bob Hinson, Springfield, Virginia December 02, 2010
I first met Bo in 1972 at promotion party at the Washington Navy Yard Chief's Club telling me and others his opinion of neck-rags and last saw him in 85-86 time frame at his retirement party. I know it was great and the Clinton Inn, I think played a role, it is fuzzy, but I know we had a great time. If you knew Bo, you know a Bo story and it brings a smile. He made where ever you were with him better. Quick to smile and laugh and ready to help if he could. He loved his family, he knew what he liked and enjoyed what he liked to the fullest. I and many others will remember and miss him.
~ Claude Yuke, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
I never had the pleasure of meeting Emory.I do know Roger from chatting on the internet and consider him a good friend.From what Roger has told me,Emory sounds like he was a wonderful man and father.I am sure he will be missed.
Memories from NAVCOSSACT friends:
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