- Date Of Birth: May 30, 1923
- Date Of Death: December 13, 2010
- State: Idaho
Dr. Bill Clide Bowman, age 87, died on December 13, 2010 in Boise, Idaho. Bill was born to Laura Louise Phillips and Elmer Roscoe Bowman on May 30, 1923 at his maternal grandparent’s home in Sweet, Idaho. He was a twin, born two months prematurely, his brother surviving only a few hours. Bill was small, tough, and a survivor, characteristics that carried him throughout his life. He was the youngest of the family that included a brother Mervin, and sisters Alta, Alice and June.
Bill grew up in Cascade, where his mother ran the Cascade Rooms. Bill received his education in the Cascade Schools, graduating in 1940 at age 16, where he played basketball and football. He attended Albion Normal School for two semesters before going to California to work in the shipyards during World War II. While there he enlisted in the Navy, became a pilot, and was discharged in 1945. His experiences in the Navy became some of his most cherished memories. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and was the impetus in building the VFW Hall in Cascade.
Bill was an educator. He received his B.A. in Education in 1948 from Southern Idaho College of Education (formerly Albion Normal School). Besides teaching in Fairfield, he taught in Wilder for two years, where he taught the first driver education class in Idaho. He then went to the University of Oregon and earned a M.Ed. in secondary education in 1951. He came to Boise and began teaching for the Boise School District. He taught algebra and geometry, first at South Junior High, then at Boise High School. Later he became a counselor at Capital High School. He then became the Director of Research for the Idaho Department of Education. Bill decided to attend BYU and obtained a Ph.D. in Physical Education in 1970. He returned to Boise, joined the faculty of the Physical Education Department at then Boise State College (BSC), where he was named the Chairman of that Department in 1978. He held this position until his retirement in 1985. His lifelong love for the pursuit of knowledge and his belief that education holds the key to a better life influenced many students, as well as his own family, a fact which is well evidenced by the advanced degrees held by his children and now many of his grandchildren.
Bill was a coach. He began by coaching football and basketball in Fairfield. He continued to coach football for many years, but wrestling became one of his passions. He helped Bill Everts develop and direct the youth programs for wrestling, baseball, and track in Boise. While at Boise High he coached his teams to four State Championships and two second place finishes in nine seasons. He was also the wrestling coach at BSC for two years before turning it over to Mike Young. He was instrumental in developing the national guidelines for high school wrestling weight classifications. Among the many honors that he received during his lifetime for his unselfish dedication to the betterment of youth through athletics, were his induction into the Idaho High Schools Activities Association Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was also named a Distinguished Citizen by the Idaho Statesman.
Bill was a son, a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He and Phyllis were married for 60 years and had enjoyed their four children: Kit, Jerry, Gus and Phillip. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren have many happy memories of time spent with him. His family was the focus of his life, both living and dead.
Bill was a caring, hard-working man, who loved his family and never saw a problem for which he could not find a solution. His steadfast support and quiet demeanor will be missed by all who knew him. We are grateful to have had him in our lives.
Bill is survived by his wife Phyllis, his children and their spouses; Kit and Jack Parker of Boise; Jerry and Pam Bowman of Provo, Utah; Gus and Dakin Bowman of Twin Falls; and Phillip and Gloria Bowman of Toronto, Canada; his sister Alice Tarleton of Boise; 15 grandchildren and 9 great- grandchildren.
The family would like to thank Dr. Desmond Anim-Appiah of the VA Hospital and the staff of Emerson House for their care of Bill during his final months.
