Donna Bowman

Donna Bowman passed away after having lived a full and wonderful life on 2nd September 2023 at age 85 in Alpine, Utah. She is survived by her husband Robert, her four sons David (Lauri), Russell (Denise), Matthew (LaDawn), and Eric; her nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; her brother Mel and step-brother Jeff (Denise).

While she will be missed, hers was a life well lived and worth celebrating. Donna made friends effortlessly with her warm personality, contagious sense of humor, ready smile, and her genuine interest in people. Regardless of where she traveled in the world, someone would inevitably know Donna and go out of their way to say hello.

Coming from a line of strong women, Donna was composed, graceful, articulate, refined, well-read, and well-traveled. And when protecting her family, she could be a force of nature.

Being born into a military family shaped many of the values that guided her throughout life. She was raised with a deep sense of patriotism and the importance of making personal sacrifices for the welfare of others. At the same time, she was a 'world citizen' and fit in seamlessly when traveling throughout Europe, Asia, and the Pacific islands by quickly learning (and appreciating) their culture, language, and values. She frequently talked with fondness about the years she lived in Panama while her dad was stationed there. All of the travel she did as a child gave her the confidence to travel to Europe with a girlfriend after high school graduation in the 1950s. It was such a big deal for two young, single women to travel to Europe, which was still rebuilding after the war, that the local newspaper wrote about their adventures.

In some sense, the military also formed her values as a mother. Life for families of soldiers during and following WWII was both difficult and humbling at times. As a result, she never took for granted the abundance that God would bless her with later in life. And, having watched her mother frequently befriend other women whose husbands were off to war, she learned the importance of including others in her circle of friends.

Family was the most important aspect of her life and she wanted to ensure she gave her family those things that WWII and the military life sometimes denied her as a child. As such, she purposefully created a wonderful life for her family. She spent countless hours with her children reading bedtime stories, saying nighttime prayers, and attending Saturday soccer games and music recitals. She shared with her boys her love of exploration and travel. She had the ability to make each of her sons feel like they were her favorite. Doing dishes with Donna after dinner became a favorite with her boys because it gave them the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with her talking about their day. While she never learned to ski, being with her family was always a top priority. So, whenever her family went skiing, she would ride up with them and wait in the car or at the ski resort. This way, she could be with her family during lunch and on the way home - time that she counted as precious.

Dedication to the Lord and to serving others was a pillar of Donna's character. She didn't just teach her children these principles, she lived them. She constantly served others in need. This took many forms - everything from making small quilts and knitting hats for sick, premature children and donating food and supplies to serving on church committees and hosting events specifically designed to make neighbors and church members feel welcome.

Ever the optimist, she found joy in the changing seasons, joy in the lives of her children, the beauty of a sunset, the humor of a good joke, the value of learning something new, or the wonder of traveling to someplace she'd never visited before.

A celebration of Donna's life will be held on Saturday, the 9th of September, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. MDT at the LDS Creekside Ward Building, located at 327 Long Drive, Alpine, Utah, 84004. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. MDT at the same venue.

For those who cannot attend in person, a live stream of the service will be available at https://my.gather.app/remember/donna-bowman-sep-2023.

We invite you to share your precious memories of Donna and upload photos of your cherished moments with her on the memorial page. These shared remembrances will help us all celebrate and remember the extraordinary woman that was Donna.

If sending flowers, please send them to Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Chapel, 1007 West South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, UT 84095