William “Bill” Roger Bowerman
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Bill Bowerman died at home in Lawrence, KS, at age 82 on April 19, 2024, surrounded by his family. He had been only recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Bill was born in Syracuse, New York, to Charles and Mady (Kate Madeleine Eskesen) Bowerman on March 2, 1942. He grew up in Seattle, with avid interests in sports and astronomy. At age 13, he was featured on the front cover of Life magazine, having built his own telescope.
When Bill was a teenager, the family moved to North Carolina. He attended Chapel Hill High School, where he excelled at basketball in addition to his studies. He went on to earn a B.A. in Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then a Ph.D. in Social Relations from Harvard University.
In 1970, he came to Lawrence with his first wife, Melissa Foster Bowerman, to join the Social Psychology faculty at The University of Kansas. They had two daughters, Christy and Eva. In his spare time, he was an inventor and held (and sold) several patents. He spent two years as a visiting professor in The Netherlands before returning to Lawrence in 1980, after which Melissa and he divorced.
He married Carolyn Roy in 1983, and turned to the burgeoning field of computers, helping in interface design and technical writing for a variety of computing and other electronic devices and software programs (the social psychologist facilitating people’s interactions with machines instead of with each other!). Around that time, he also began experimenting with visual art, first with simple black and white line drawings, expanding later into acrylics, and for the last decades increasingly into the fields of photography and scanography. He exhibited his innovative scans at galleries in the USA and abroad, winning several awards at juried art shows. He was never without a set of blank 3×5 cards and a pen to jot down an idea or a drawing.
Bill enjoyed spending time with family; walks in nature, especially at the Baker Wetlands; photography; basketball; attending local art events; music of all genres, especially 50’s boogie-woogie; and many cross-country road trips with Carolyn. He was known for his kind and generous heart, creative mind, and sense of humor.
Bill is survived by wife Carolyn Roy; daughters Christy Bowerman Roos (Bart Roos) and Eva Bowerman, and their sister Klaartje van Schuur (George Dik); grandchildren Jasper, Eric and Lara Burow and Kai Bowerman; former son-in-law Rob Burow; brothers Robert Bowerman (Beth Ann), Richard Bowerman (Cecile Burbridge), and sister Linda DeBowes (Gregg DuPont).
Memorial contributions may be made in Bill’s name to Lawrence Arts Center or Visiting Nurses Association of Douglas County, and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W 13th St., Lawrence, KS 66044.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date, likely late September.
I was so sorry to hear of his passing. i often admired his scenography. They are simple, yet powerful images of everyday things that are remarkable.
Carolyn, I’m so sorry for your loss. What an accomplished man. It was so interesting to read about his early endeavors and background in North Carolina and the rest of his journey. Take care, Ruth Anne
Carolyn, I was shocked and sad to read that Bill is gone. But what a life! He was brilliant. Blessings on his peaceful journey and thanks and gratefulness for all of his earthly kindnesses. xoxox
Carolyn, I was stunned and saddened by the news of Bill’s passing. He was a kind and funny guy. I will miss him.
I enjoyed Bill’s art pieces at Art Guild shows and he was always so gracious and made me smile. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I just found out about the passing of Dr. Bowerman. He was always an interesting guy to talk to when I bumped into him around Lawrence. I was friends with his daughter and used to babysit his grandson. What a wonderful family. He will truly be missed.
Carolyn, Christy and Eva, I was surprised and deeply saddened to have just learned of Bill’s recent passing. I was so sorry to learn of his illness and ultimately, your loss. While I have been somewhat removed these last 24 years, I have many good memories of Bill mostly in Lawrence but one in Sun River. I always found Bill to be so very interesting. He was incredibly bright, well read and intensely curious. He truly was one of those people who saw things that others would overlook and when he engaged with a topic, he was tightly focused on his mission to deepen his understanding about that topic, even to the exclusion of seemingly his own comfort. I will always remember his sense of humor and his smile. I pray that as the weeks turn to months, your cheerful memories of your past with your husband/father will in some way, assuage the grief which overshadows this period of your lives. With heartfelt condolences. Mijn oprechte deelneming… RMD