John Norbert Bowe

WESTFIELD-John Norbert Bowe, 79, passed peacefully on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, MA surrounded by his loving and devoted family.  John was the 3rd youngest of 14 children born in Cambridge, MA on January 04, 1938.  He proudly serviced his country in the United States Navy from 1956 to 1967.  John served on the air craft carrier Valley Forge which had been readied to the lead the charge should the Cuban Missle Crisis escalated further.  He married in 1971 and immediately started a family.  Alcohol was a demon throughout John’s life and his proudest moments were his 30 years of sobriety.  During this time he worked as a substance abuse counselor in New Hampshire and at a half-way house in Lowell.  He was instrumental in helping many obtain sobriety.  John had a dry sense of humor, liked women and had a quick mind. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandchildren.  In his spare time he enjoyed playing cards, scrabble and word games.  John loved to win any game he played-being a loser was not something he would take lightly.  His children have always been by his side throughout his life and during his last painful journey.  He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him and whose lives he touched.  John is predeceased by his parents Gerald & Lydia Bowe, his wife Patricia Bowe, 5 brothers: Stanley, Gerald, William, Phillip and Joseph Bowe; 2 sisters, Georgie Martin and Carole Robar, 3 brother-in-law’s: Allen Martin, Wally Robar and Dick Doughty and his 2 sister-in-law’s Marie Bowe and Jayne Bowe.  He leaves his son Sean Bowe and his wife Nonny of Lowell, MA, his daughter Kelly Bryant and her husband Jason of Agawam, MA, 4 brothers: Patrick Bowe and his ex-wife Barbara, Donald Bowe and his wife Charlotte, Richard Bowe and his wife Mickey and Robert Bowe; his sisters, Peggy Doughty and Mary Corliss and her husband Richard, 5 Grandchildren: Kaitlyn & Alec Bowe and D.J., Davis and Lydia Bryant; 4 sisters-in-law’s: Berniece Bowe, Margie Bowe, Charlotte Bowe and Mickey Bowe along with many other family members and close friends. 

A committal service with full military honors will be held on Friday, October 06, 2017at2:00PM at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA.  In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Veterans’ Northeast Outreach Center, 10 Reed St., Haverhill, MA 01832 www.northeastveterans.org/veteransdonation  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Avalon Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services, LLC 691 College Highway, Southwick, MA  To express a condolence, share memories or photos please visit John’s memorial page at www.avaloncelebrations.com

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