Harold Edwin Bowman

Harold Edwin Bowman, of Roanoke County, died peacefully on June 14, 2016. He was 88 years old. His parents were Clarence and Cora Mannon Bowman. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jacqueline (Jackie) Eleanor Turnbull Bowman. Hes survived by his daughter, Anne Bowman Sampson, and very special friends: Marc and Mary Wilson, their children, Jonathan, Jessica and Nicole, and Betty Sprinkle. Surviving also are two brothers and their wives: Fred and Virgilia Bowman, and Kenneth and Bonnie Allen Bowman; as well as many nephews and cousins, some of whom called him Uncle Ha Ha: Freds sons, Roger and Rodney; Kenneths sons, Mark and Michael; Henry and Jerry Hilderbrand, Patricia Sue Hilderbrand Ewald and Kathryn Hilderbrand Bennington. Harold had a lifelong love of electronics and communication, from building crystal sets as a boy, to repairing appliances as a 16 year old at Sears Roebuck, to his 33 years as a Quality Control Technician at General Electric in Salem. He collected minerals, gems and fossils, and carefully curated the trees and plants on his property in Glenvar. He loved history and music and knowing how things are made. He had a lively intellect and an insatiable curiosity. He actively campaigned for many years to have the last two-lane stretch of Route 11 between Glenvar and Salem widened to four lanes. That work was completed in January 2015. Harold enjoyed every day of his military service. He left school at 17 and joined the US Army as a signal corpsman, relaying sensitive information to the Pentagon and finishing school after his service. He traveled the world as a signalman in the US Navy aboard the battleship New Jersey, serving in the Korean War. As a Seabee (Naval Construction Battalion), he established communication systems as far afield as the Bahamas and narrowly missed serving in Viet Nam. He also served in the Naval Reserve and the Air Corps Reserve. He shared his zest for life and his many interests with his daughter, Anne, and made certain she appreciated simple pleasures, like catching crawfish and lying in the hayloft to listen to the rain on the tin roof. Hed be pleased if you planted a tree in his honor, or supported your local public radio or TV station.