Calvin Wyman Bowen

Calvin Wyman Bowen, 94, of North Ridgeville, Ohio passed away on December 15, 2020.  Cal was born in Auburn, Maine in 1926 to Elmer and Alice Bowen (nee Schofield).  Some of our fondest memories are of our summer trips to Maine to see our grandparents, traveling in whatever was the current family station wagon at that time. 

               After high school, Cal enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  It was 1943 and the world was at war.  He was determined to become a pilot like his brother Al, and do his part to help defeat the Axis powers.  Cal was active as an aviation cadet from 1944 until 1945.  Heading back to Maine after the war, he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine.  Throughout his life, he continued to return for alumni events.  He played trombone in dance bands during his college years. 

               His job as a patent research investigator for Union Carbide took him to Cleveland, Ohio where he met and fell in love with Roberta (Bobbie) Gravatt.  They were married in 1953, and had five children together in a marriage that spanned 62 years before Bobbie’s passing in 2015.   

               From Cleveland, Cal was transferred to Niagara Falls where the family lived for several years.  After that, it was off to West Virginia for a year, and then back to the Cleveland area in 1966, where they settled in North Olmsted for 40 years.  Throughout a 39-year career with Union Carbide, Cal made many lifelong friends.  He retired in 1991 after many years at the Parma Technical Center on Snow Road. 

               Cal was an active member of John Knox Presbyterian Church and a Boy Scout leader for many years.  All four of his sons participated in Scouts with him.  He continued to play his trombone with the Union Carbide band, and was also an avid golfer and passionate skier, continuing until he was into his 80’s.  His dearest wish was to ski again someday, so hopefully there are great hills and powder in heaven and he’s bombing down the hills with a grin on his face. 

               Cal was predeceased by his wife Bobbie, his parents, and his only brother Elmer (Al) Bowen.  He is survived by his son William of Rocky River, who was his devoted and loving caretaker for several years, and to whom we are eternally grateful; daughter Susan Hoak (Steve) of Summerville, South Carolina; son James (Tracy) of Arvada, Colorado; son Robert (Geri) of Solon, Ohio; and son Jeffrey (Gaby) of Ringgold, Georgia.  He also leaves behind seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren and his niece Deborah Steven (David) of Orleans, Massachusetts.   

               Most importantly, he leaves behind a wealth of great memories with family and friends.  His children will always be grateful for his loving guidance and support, and for the love of the outdoors and values that he passed along to them.  He always made time for his children, whether it was a game of marbles or wiffle ball in the street with all of the kids in the neighborhood.  The times we spent together as a family, hiking, camping, and skiing, were some of the highlights of our lives. Calvin Bowen was a devoted and loving husband, father and friend, and one of the finest people you could ever meet.  He will be greatly missed. 

               No service is planned at this time, but please consider making a donation in his memory to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank (www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org), John Knox Presbyterian Church, North Olmsted, Ohio, or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).

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