James G. Bowden III, 81, of Vero Beach and Capitol Island, Maine, formerly of Weston, Mass., passed away on April 19, 2015, after a long battle with cancer and dementia.
A loving husband, father and grandfather, he is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Brown Bowden; his daughter Kimberly Bowden Peckham, and his son, James Goodwin Bowden IV with Joy Browning (a daughter-in-law to him); seven grandsons Robin Alexander and Will Shallcross Peckham, James (J.B.), Tyler Harper, Chadwick Shallcross, Trey Michael and Chase Haley Bowden; four great-grandchildren, Lilli, Julia, Mason, and Weston; his brother Robert Lane Bowden, of Capitol Island, Maine and his wife Eleanor Davies Bowden, and six nieces and nephews: Bobby, Jonny, Molly, Diane, Rusty and Tracey.
He was born in Worcester, Mass., on May 24, 1933 to James Goodwin Bowden II and Mildred Smith Bowden. He attended the Bancroft School, graduated from Deerfield Academy and Middlebury College. He attended Babson Graduate School and served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant.
Bowden was a lifelong summer resident of Capitol Island, in the Boothbay Harbor Region, and with his loving wife, Mary, spent summers on the water pursuing his passion for sailing and celebrating life with family and dear friends. He always had a special twinkle and wink for those he loved, often referred to by friends as “Gentleman Jim.”
Bowden was a business executive beginning his career at Dewey and Almy, a division of W.R. Grace and Co, in research and development. He purchased a small business, Miller and Seddon Co, which he owned and operated for more than a decade. Bowden joined Rule Industries in Gloucester, Mass., before retiring to Stuart, Fla., where he finished his career in real estate.
He was a former Commodore of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and Circle Bay Yacht and Sailing Club in Stuart. Bowden cared deeply about youth programs including sailing programs at BHYC and Little League Baseball in Weston, Mass., where he coached. He often captured his family, friends, and pets with photography.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Alzheimer’s-Dementia or Cancer Research at www.alzheimers.org or www.Standup2cancer.org.
A private service will be held at a later date.
Online condolences may be made at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.
