- Date Of Birth: November 23, 1930
- Date Of Death: July 22, 2022
- State: Michigan
Age 91, who dedicated her life to serving Jesus Christ, went into the embrace of the Lord on July 22, 2022. Celeste, the second of five children born to Joseph Leonard Bowman and Margaret Hughes Bowman, grew up in Royal Oak and graduated from the Shrine of the Little Flower High School in 1948. She was awarded her BA in Philosophy from the University of Detroit in 1952 and moved to NYC, where she worked in a bookstore. With a friend, she took an 11-country tour of Europe, an exciting adventure for two young women in 1959. She was called to the convent in 1960, entered the order of Redemptoristines, and was asked to carry out her ministry in New South Wales, Australia, in a little town called Redhead. When she left the order, she employed her creative skills in writing and design for the Continuing Education Department of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and then for Parish Publications, where she produced the weekly newsletters for myriad Catholic parishes for over two decades. She returned to U of D and Sacred Heart Seminary for her Master’s studies, which were focused on spirituality in older adults, and Pastoral Studies. She presented her research project at five national conferences and an international conference in Australia.
Celeste was an enthusiastic parishioner, Eucharistic minister, and Scripture Study leader at the Shrine and later at St. Edith in Livonia.
Celeste was predeceased by her sister Mary Joyce Van Eck, brother-in-law Lester Van Eck, brother-in-law David Gerard Cylkowski, sister Kathleen Norton, and brother Leonard. She will be missed by her sister Connie Cylkowski, her brother-in-law Richard Norton, and her brother Len’s partner Jena Hom, along with 18 nieces and nephews and their spouses, and many grand- and great-grand nieces and nephews. Her family thanks the staff at Marywood in Livonia, who cared with such kindness for Celeste.
