Janice M. Bowie

Janice Justice Bowie passed away peacefully on February 3, 2026—just shy of her 102nd birthday. With Jan, you easily felt her strength and purpose, the grit of a life well lived, her unshakable love for her family, and you never doubted for a moment what she thought or how proud she was of her family. 

Jan was born on April 8, 1924, in Crooksville, Ohio, the middle daughter of a coal miner and a homemaker. She earned her nursing degree at Newark Hospital in Newark, Ohio, where she enjoyed attending community dances with her friends. Growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, Jan lived her life with the gratitude of someone who knew what it meant to be without.

She spent her married life in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she built a life rooted in family and community. She married the love of her life, Jack Montgomery Bowie, on August 2, 1945, and together they made a remarkable pair. Jack was quiet; Jan was formidable. He couldn’t dance; she was the life of the party. Both were whip smart, both loved family, both were deeply fulfilled by adventure and their devotion to their community and God.

Jan was a woman who could do it all. She was athletic and sharp, a nurse and a homemaker, a partner, a caring grandmother, and a trusted advisor. She was a ruthless card and dominoes player. She was known throughout her community as someone who would help, listen, talk things through, or give you exactly the advice she thought you needed—whether you were ready for it or not.

She believed in family, loyalty, hard work, and community—not as abstract ideals, but as responsibilities. She taught personal accountability. She showed up for her family. She gave to her community. She believed in health, adventure, and getting on with it. She taught us to be grateful for God’s blessings. 

Her lessons and values live on through her family: her son and daughter-in-law William “Bill” Hanson Bowie and Sarah “Sallie” Katherine Bowie and their family—Ryan, Kristen, Lily, Grace, Liam, Sean, Emily, Virginia, Dorothy, Thomas, and Bryce; and her daughter and son-in-law Cynthia Justice Bowie Matsumoto and Allen Satoru Matsumoto and their family—Sarah, Andy, Andrew, Jack, Katherine, Bruno, Leo, Maya, Emily, KC, Eloise, and Bennett. In them, her honesty, resilience, and sense of responsibility continue forward.

Jan will be remembered arm in arm with her devoted husband of 71 years, Jack—on the tennis court, smashing a winning shot; on the golf course, driving straight down the fairway; swishing down the slopes; or boating together on Reed’s Lake at sunset—making witty conversation, surrounded by family.

In Heaven, she will be reunited with her first granddaughter, Melissa Katherine Bowie, and her beloved husband, Jack. We imagine her still watching closely, still proud, still pushing us along—sharp as ever.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Janice M. Bowie, please visit our floral store.