John Bowden

John Charles Bowden passed away peacefully on May 23, 2026.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Patricia Bowden; their sons Mark Schledorn and Dale Hill, and grandson Ryan Cary; John’s big brother, James Bowden; and many dearly regarded friends and family.

He is survived by his daughter, Trudy Cary and forever-though-technically-former-son-in-law Tim Cary; sons Don (Jenny) Hill and Dave (Patty) Hill; and daughters Mary Bowden, and Tricia (Jason) Bowden.

John is survived by his little sister, Judy Bowden; Patsy’s baby sister Micky Plumridge, and her husband Jeff, who was among John’s closest friends; and so many dearly loved nieces and nephews.

Poppa is survived by his many grandchildren: Brandon, Lacey (Cyr), Ashley, Dylan, and Dallas Cary; Barbara Schledorn Capps; Lexi Hill; Michael, Reanne, and Andrew Hill; Kenny Mier, Ashton Hill, and Donovan Walraven.

Also his great grandchildren: Taylor, Grace, Alexa, Caleb, Chance, and Maddison; Brooklynn and Jaxson; Blake, Bishop, Sebastian, and Shay; Landon and Kaylon; Scarlet, Sydney, and Silas; Abby and Jacob.

Young John Charles Bowden joined the U.S. Army in 1956 at the tender age of 17, and enjoyed his years of service in the motor pool while stationed in Germany. There he continued with his early hobby of working on motorcycles and cars, learned photography and black-and-white developing, and picked up an interest in German cooking.

John was a Master Plumber and Contractor for over forty years, having earned his Journeyman’s license and worked as a Union plumber in the Pontiac & Detroit area. John and Pat married in 1967, and moved Up North with their kids and very little else in 1972. It was a tough decision to make, leaving their friends and Patsy’s extensive family behind in Highland. They’d taken trips to the area before the move, staying at the little Torch Crest cabins in Torch Lake Village, enjoying time hunting, fishing, and picking cherries. Over the years, new friends were made, a business was established and thriving, many old friends and family members also relocated to the region, and in the end, the move seemed a worthwhile venture.

John loved hunting and fishing, and his skills helped keep his young family fed for many years before the kids were old enough for Pat to work away from home. He taught his boys to hunt when they were young, and took the kids fishing on the shores of Antrim Creek and the Jordan River. Hunting season always meant our home was filled with Dad’s old friends, brothers-in-law, our cousins, and us kids making a ruckus while Mom and her sisters cooked up a storm. Thanks to his son Dave keeping up some great habitat, during John’s last hunting season in 2023 he took not one, but two big 8 point bucks, one of them being the biggest dandy of his hunting career. He got such a kick out of telling the story of that day.

When Pat began her career with the State of Michigan, John embraced weeknight cooking duties, and continued to enjoy feeding his children up til the very last weeks of his life. John learned to bake in his later years, and often had fresh cookies or apple cake at the ready. We all have fond memories of weekend and holiday breakfasts, BBQ ribs and Dad’s potato salad.

We’re especially grateful for the 7.5 years he dedicated to diligently nourishing our mother after her cancer diagnosis, even adjusting his own cooking and eating preferences to hers. We thank you, Super Plumber.

John was an avid golfer and forged many friendships over the years through his participation at A-Ga-Ming and Antrim Dells. While his body didn’t allow him to continue playing as much the last few years, his heart was still in the game. He loved making his rounds to the Post Office, Merrie’s Market, and the Central Lake Tavern for a Diet Coke and a visit with friends old and new. John frequented trivia nights at the Tavern, where we are told he enjoyed his reputation as a one-man trivia powerhouse.

If you’d like to honor John’s memory, please consider donating to The Good Samaritan Family Services, Front Porch Ministries in Ellsworth, MI, or PATH: Passing Along the Heritage.

https://www.thegoodsam.org/

https://www.frontporchministries.org/

https://passingalongtheheritage.com/mission.php

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.  Please sign his online guestbook at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com