Roy Lewis "Doc" Bowden

1930 - 2008

Dr. Roy Lewis "Doc" Bowden, a retired dentist, loving husband, father, grandaddy, brother and uncle, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, of complications from prostate cancer and Alzheimer's. He was 77.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, in the sanctuary at St. Matthews Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 380 NW Tarrant Ave., Burleson, with a reception following in the Fellowship Hall.
Memorials: The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the BIG House of St. Matthews Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 380 NW Tarrant Ave., Burleson 76028; or to Delta Howard's Group Home, 526 Lone Star, Joshua 76058.
Roy was born on April 24, 1930, in Fort Worth to Roy M and Hazel Woodlan Bowden and attended St Paul's United Methodist Church. He was a resident of Fort Worth for 40 years before moving to Burleson, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Roy attended Paschal High School, Texas Wesleyan College and Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, where he graduated in 1957.
He was a member of the American Dental Association, the Fort Worth District Dental Society, the Delta Psi Chapter of the Psi Omega fraternity, and a charter member of the Century Club at Baylor. He was a former member of the Lions Club in Fort Worth and the Chamber of Commerce of Burleson.
In addition to his full-time career, he found time to help build the Blue Raider Baseball Field in Fort Worth. Proven to be a high achiever in dentistry, he was a man who wore many "hats." Jesse Arranbede, Roy's brother, Don, and Roy, opened the first Pancho's Mexican Buffet. They had opened nine restaurants and employed more than 350 people by 1969.
He served as vice president of Pamex Inc. for 10 years while still working one day a week in his office in Wedgwood, practicing dentistry. He then returned to his true passion, dentistry, to practice full time. He built Elk Plaza Shopping Center and Mini-warehouses in Burleson, and moved his practice there. He hosted many barbecues for the members of the Burleson Volunteer Fire Department and their families. He loved to dabble in real estate. He also owned Burleson Feed and Seed store. The last and most favorite of his many ventures was his U-Cut-Em Christmas tree farm where he worked many tireless hours riding on his tractor, planting and caring for his trees.
Roy was an avid sportsman. He traveled from Alaska to Mexico. He loved to fly, snow ski, fish and hunt. He loved his horses, and was a member of the APHA, AQHA, and the Jockey Club, even racing some of them.
The family would like to take this time to thank the many people who helped with Roy's care over his last few years, especially his personal caregivers, Christine Richardson and Angela Trotter; his physicians, Drs. Edgar Janetzko, Michael Ross and Trey Moore III; Colony Home Health Care of Burleson; the Gardens of Chisholm Trail in Keene; Mission Hospice of Cleburne; but, most of all, to Delta Howard's Group Home in Joshua, whose kindness, tenderness, and loving care made Roy's last days here on this earth the closest thing to heaven before going there. Thank you, Delta Howard!
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors: His wife, Sandina "Dena" of 39 years; their children, Angel Meredith and her husband, Don, and Bryan David Bowden; brother, Don Bowden and wife, Linda; sister, Elizabeth Jansen and husband, Alan; brother-in-law, Dr Louis Montanio and wife, Micki; his grandsons, Sean and Kevin Meredith and Dylan Bowden; many nieces and nephews; his many, many friends; and his beloved pets, Scarlet, Chewy and Gus.