Charles H. Bowlus

Charles Hardy Bowlus died on August 8, 2015 at the age of 59 in Fairview, Pennsylvania after a difficult, yet brave, battle with cancer.

            He was born March 27, 1956 in Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of David and Gloria (Cunningham) Bowlus. He was raised and educated in nearby Albion, PA. His family later moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he attended Quinsigamond Community College and Holy Cross College, majoring in English.

            He returned to Pennsylvania and completed his education at the University of Pittsburgh, also working as a teamster and in construction trades.

            He worked for the Albion News along with his best friend, James McCommons. In April 1981, he moved to Rawlins, Wyoming and began working for the Rawlins Daily Times as City Reporter. He was promoted to Managing Editor in June 1982. It was a small newspaper, therefore he aided in other roles such as reporter, photographer, and paginator.

            On September 24, 1983, he married Carol Cruz in Rawlins. They had four daughters and were married for 24 years.

He wrote for Organic Gardening Magazine in the early 1990s. He taught gardening classes at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, wrote several gardening columns in the Daily Times until his departure, and was also willing to personally share his knowledge with fellow friends and neighbors.

He was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, Tree Advisory Group of Rawlins, Albion Public Library Board, National Rifle Association, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the National Audubon Society.

In 2007, he moved to Denver, Colorado. In 2009, he moved to Albion, Pennsylvania. He brought his grandfather's garden back to life, often sharing the harvest with neighbors and friends.

He continued to take skilled photographs of people, plants, and wildlife. When his health declined, he experimented further with Adobe Photoshop. His thirst for knowledge never ceased and later took classes at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania to learn graphic design. Charles, also known as Charlie and Chuck, was a brilliant man, often providing new perspectives to current events and history. Other passions were: the outdoors, sports, fine food, and family. He was an animal lover, avid reader, and excellent problem solver.

He is survived by his four daughters, Jacqueline Bowlus (Jacob McDonald) of Rawlins, Wyoming, Elaine Bowlus, Hannah (Colton) Stewart, Alannah Bowlus, all of Roy, Utah; grandchildren, Elias Stewart and Zeppelin Clarkson due in October 2015, all of Roy, Utah; three sisters, Cherie (Robert) Kovacs of Albion, Pennsylvania; Barbara Bowlus (Joseph Caldarola) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Margaret (Richard) Serino of Epping, New Hampshire.  He had numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and other relatives. He will be missed for many reasons, including but not limited to his wit, artistry, brutal honesty, and sense of humor.

His remains have been cremated, and there will be a memorial service to be announced at a later date.