Obituary for Mary Ellen Bowman
Mary Ellen Bowman (nee Brockman), formerly of St. Louis, MO, died on April 5, 2023 at Green Acres Assisted Living Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She was 95.
Mary Ellen was the first child of Ruth and Loren Brockman, born on October 8, 1927 in St. Louis, MO. She grew up in St. Louis and attended Maplewood HS. Ellen went on to earn a BS in Retailing from Washington University in 1951. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a social sorority providing formative experiences that impacted adult friendships and service opportunities for Ellen’s entire life. In 1957, she was the 8th woman to earn an MBA from Washington University.
Ellen married William Gene Bowman on June 12, 1954. During the early years of their marriage, Ellen and Bill made a home in University City before moving in 1970 to Town and Country, where she resided for over fifty years. They filled their home with beautiful antiques and other forgotten treasures, and their gardens were magical tributes to herbology. They had been married for 58 years at the time of Bill’s death in 2013.
Ellen was a popular and well-respected home economics teacher at Parkway West High School for many years. One of her favorite home economics lessons was teaching students to set a proper table. For this lesson, Ellen took special pleasure in demonstrating with her own sterling silver flatware and the china dishes her mother painted as a young woman. Thanks to Ellen, PWHS students were likely the only teenagers in the state to know the difference between a butter server and a butter knife, a pickle fork and an olive fork, and a remarkably wide range of spoons. In addition to teaching home economics, Ellen served as the school advisor for DECA, a national marketing association that encourages the development of business and leadership skills via academic conferences and competitions. With Ellen’s careful instruction and thoughtful mentorship, PWHS students were consistently regional/national DECA award winners year after year.
Ellen was proud of her long-standing membership in the Wednesday Club of St. Louis. In retirement, she and some of her closest friends stayed active with Kappa Kappa Gamma charitable fundraising projects. In addition, Ellen and Bill were active and valued members of the St. Louis Garden Club, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Ellen will be remembered as a wonderful and generous cook, an avid gardener, a voracious reader, and a “thank-you note” stickler. She was a letter-writer, and would almost always include an article cut from the Post Dispatch about a new animal born at the zoo, or some other St. Louis happening that she thought would be of interest. She NEVER missed sending well-wishes on a birthday or other significant anniversary.
Ellen and Bill were particularly fond of taking their three nephews (and then their grandnieces and nephews) to the St. Louis Zoo, the Magic House, the Arch, the Art Museum, the Jewel Box, Busch Stadium, the Brewery, the Missouri Botanical Garden, City Museum, the St. Louis Historical Museum, Grant’s Farm, and then repeat. She and Bill also enjoyed taking their family to historic St. Louis restaurants, including the Parkmour, the Flaming Pit, Busch’s Grove, Crown Candy Kitchen, Meriwether’s Restaurant, and Imo’s Pizza.
Ellen is preceeded in death by her parents, Ruth and Loren Brockman; her husband, Bill “Uncle Bill” Bowman; her younger brother, Ellis Brockman; a nephew/godson, Tim Brockman; and a grandnewphew, William Ellis Brockman. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Ann (Ellis) Brockman; a nephew, Matthew (Teri) Brockman and their children, Ryan and Elizabeth Brockman, and Bailey, Brady, Bryce and Brooklyn Dangler; a nephew, Michael (Marcy Taylor) Brockman and their daughter, Maggie; a niece-in-law Elizabeth (Tim) Brockman and their children, Ann Marie (Tony) Orren, Katie (David) Hodgkins, and Andy (Jordan) Brockman; and six great grand nieces and nephews: Ella and Jackson Orren, Liam and Rosie Hodgkins, and Ben and Mia Brockman.
Although Ellen spent the last year and a half of life in Michigan, near her remaining family, St. Louis was her life. She faithfully read the Post Dispatch online daily. She will be returning to St. Louis to spend eternity with her husband, overlooking the Mississippi River at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
Mary Ellen was the first child of Ruth and Loren Brockman, born on October 8, 1927 in St. Louis, MO. She grew up in St. Louis and attended Maplewood HS. Ellen went on to earn a BS in Retailing from Washington University in 1951. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a social sorority providing formative experiences that impacted adult friendships and service opportunities for Ellen’s entire life. In 1957, she was the 8th woman to earn an MBA from Washington University.
Ellen married William Gene Bowman on June 12, 1954. During the early years of their marriage, Ellen and Bill made a home in University City before moving in 1970 to Town and Country, where she resided for over fifty years. They filled their home with beautiful antiques and other forgotten treasures, and their gardens were magical tributes to herbology. They had been married for 58 years at the time of Bill’s death in 2013.
Ellen was a popular and well-respected home economics teacher at Parkway West High School for many years. One of her favorite home economics lessons was teaching students to set a proper table. For this lesson, Ellen took special pleasure in demonstrating with her own sterling silver flatware and the china dishes her mother painted as a young woman. Thanks to Ellen, PWHS students were likely the only teenagers in the state to know the difference between a butter server and a butter knife, a pickle fork and an olive fork, and a remarkably wide range of spoons. In addition to teaching home economics, Ellen served as the school advisor for DECA, a national marketing association that encourages the development of business and leadership skills via academic conferences and competitions. With Ellen’s careful instruction and thoughtful mentorship, PWHS students were consistently regional/national DECA award winners year after year.
Ellen was proud of her long-standing membership in the Wednesday Club of St. Louis. In retirement, she and some of her closest friends stayed active with Kappa Kappa Gamma charitable fundraising projects. In addition, Ellen and Bill were active and valued members of the St. Louis Garden Club, and the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Ellen will be remembered as a wonderful and generous cook, an avid gardener, a voracious reader, and a “thank-you note” stickler. She was a letter-writer, and would almost always include an article cut from the Post Dispatch about a new animal born at the zoo, or some other St. Louis happening that she thought would be of interest. She NEVER missed sending well-wishes on a birthday or other significant anniversary.
Ellen and Bill were particularly fond of taking their three nephews (and then their grandnieces and nephews) to the St. Louis Zoo, the Magic House, the Arch, the Art Museum, the Jewel Box, Busch Stadium, the Brewery, the Missouri Botanical Garden, City Museum, the St. Louis Historical Museum, Grant’s Farm, and then repeat. She and Bill also enjoyed taking their family to historic St. Louis restaurants, including the Parkmour, the Flaming Pit, Busch’s Grove, Crown Candy Kitchen, Meriwether’s Restaurant, and Imo’s Pizza.
Ellen is preceeded in death by her parents, Ruth and Loren Brockman; her husband, Bill “Uncle Bill” Bowman; her younger brother, Ellis Brockman; a nephew/godson, Tim Brockman; and a grandnewphew, William Ellis Brockman. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Ann (Ellis) Brockman; a nephew, Matthew (Teri) Brockman and their children, Ryan and Elizabeth Brockman, and Bailey, Brady, Bryce and Brooklyn Dangler; a nephew, Michael (Marcy Taylor) Brockman and their daughter, Maggie; a niece-in-law Elizabeth (Tim) Brockman and their children, Ann Marie (Tony) Orren, Katie (David) Hodgkins, and Andy (Jordan) Brockman; and six great grand nieces and nephews: Ella and Jackson Orren, Liam and Rosie Hodgkins, and Ben and Mia Brockman.
Although Ellen spent the last year and a half of life in Michigan, near her remaining family, St. Louis was her life. She faithfully read the Post Dispatch online daily. She will be returning to St. Louis to spend eternity with her husband, overlooking the Mississippi River at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.