Joseph L. Bowhay
SMSGT Joseph L. Bowhay, USAF (Ret.) age 89, a resident of Colorado Springs since 1970, and formerly of Enid Oklahoma. Joseph passed on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at his home after a long illness. He had retired after serving his country for more than 27 years in the United States Air Force. He was an aircraft mechanic and inspector.
Joseph Leroy Bowhay was born on April 3, 1924 in Grainola, Oklahoma to the late Arthur J. Bowhay and Edith G. Sandefur Bowhay. He attended primary and secondary schools in Oklahoma and later continued his education at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs earning Associates of Automotive Sciences and Automotive Body Repair.
Joe and Virginia Crane met when she was working at the dispensary at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Seven days later, on August 16, 1946, they were married. Joe and Virginia were married for nearly 64 years at the time of Virginia’s passing in 2010. The family was a proud United States Air Force family and were stationed at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, Tachikawa AFB in Japan, Kadena AFB, in Okinawa, Duluth AFB in Minnesota, Misawa AFB in Japan, Richards-Gebaur AFB, Kansas City, Missouri and retired from Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Colorado Springs has been Joe and Virginia’s home for more than forty years.
Joe was a life member of the Masonic Lodge in Enid, Oklahoma, the Retired Enlisted Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and enjoyed aviation, automotives and travel. He was very proud of his Native American heritage through his grandmother Rose, who helped to raise him and his two older brothers, George and Gene, who preceded him in death. Joe and Virginia thoroughly enjoyed traveling in their RV, while learning about the history of the Midwest and Southwest U.S. They always included visiting family in Oklahoma and Kansas and always managed to make new friends along the way.
This sweet spirit of a man will be best remembered for his sense of humor, deep love for his family and all of the wonderful friends he tended to adopt during his journey through life.
He is survived by his loving daughter: Jennie Lee Bowhay – (and and son-in-law Anthony) Sweet of Falcon, Colorado; his son: Jon Leslie Bowhay of Tokyo, Japan; daughter-in-law: Yasu Kuriyagawa; his brothers: Bill (and Bobbie) Bowhay of Dallas, Texas; Royal “Dode” Bowhay and his sister; Lorene (and Harry) DeArmand of Coldwater, Kansas.
Joe has two wonderful grandchildren: Jason Morikiyo and Yae Jesse Bowhay, living in Tokyo. Preceding Joe in death were his six brothers and sisters, his parents, dear sister-in-law Irene Sloan McAfee, and his beloved wife: Virginia Lee Crane Bowhay.
A memorial service with Masonic Rites will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at the Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel. Graveside Services with Air Force Honors will follow at Evergreen Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Olympian Plaza Reception and Event Center.
Memorials in his name may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children-Burn Care, Evercare Hospice, and English Springer Spaniel Rescue of America at ESRA.org.