William Lewis Bowles, 95, of Leonardtown, MD, passed away peacefully at home on June 14. He was born on October 4, 1921, in Harrisburg, PA, to Katherine and Virgil Linwood Bowles. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dolores Haight Bowles, his son David Bowles of Leonardtown, and his daughter Rebecca (Becky) Ratte of Cocoa, FL; two granddaughters; and two great-grandchildren.
Bill was raised in Enola, PA; Jacksonville, FL; Rockville, VA; and Atlantic City, NJ. He enlisted in the Navy in 1939 and served aboard the following ships: USS Arkansas (BB-33), Mattole (AO-17), Basilan (AG-68), Daly (DD-519), and Thetis Bay (CVE-90). He also had shore stations in Washington, DC; London, England; Atsugi, Japan; and Honolulu, HI. On retiring from the Navy as a Chief Signalman in 1960, he worked for the federal government in Washington, DC, and later as a Lifeboat instructor at the Harry Lundberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point, MD. Bill love making Adirondack chairs, attending Bible study groups, singing with the Senior Vibes, and working for several churches and Summerseat Farm.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, July 8th, at Callaway Baptist Church, 20960 Point Lookout Road, Callaway, MD 20620.
