Obituary of Elizabeth "Betsy" Bowman

Betsy Bowman of Chapel Hill, NC died peacefully on July 30, 2021, at the age of 84.

Elizabeth Schwartz Bowman was born in Passaic, NJ, the daughter of Albert and Elizabeth Schwartz.  She graduated from Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, OH, and attended Ohio State University.

She moved to New York City and worked in automotive public relations.  As a volunteer at Roosevelt Hospital, she met and married Dr. Frederick O. Bowman, Jr. in 1959.  They were married for 62 years.  She and Dr. Bowman lived in Riverdale, New York where she volunteered for a variety of organizations, including Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.  She served on the Board of Trustees of the Riverdale Country School from 1974 to 1981.

She and Dr. Bowman, a native of Chapel Hill, retired to North Carolina in 1991.  She was an active volunteer in the community, including fundraising for several departments within the University of North Carolina.

Betsy is survived by her husband and four sons, Rick of Charlotte, NC, John (Cindy) of Ithaca, NY, Michael (Rebecca) of Darien, CT and Bill of Raleigh, NC, five cherished grandchildren, and her sister Barbara Schwartz White of Hilton Head Island, SC.  She was preceded in death by her brother Albert in 2011.

In 1980 she ran as a delegate for George H.W. Bush to the Republican convention and lost by 83 votes.  In 1991 she established The Athlete’s Collection, a dress shirt manufacturer to outfit big and tall body types because her sons were so difficult to clothe.  She loved Outward Bound, musical theater and mysteries of all kinds.  Her unselfishness and generosity of spirit were boundless.

The family will conduct a private ceremony.  A Celebration of Life will be held on a date and at a location to be determined.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made to the UNC Arts & Sciences Foundation to support The Bowman Fund for the Learning Disabled, 523 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514. 

Walker's Funeral Home in Chapel Hill is assisting the family.