James Monfort Bowie

1920 - 2019

Jim was born on August 30th, 1920 to Forest and Elizabeth Bowie of Lake Chelun WA. He passed away on May 3rd, 2019. On January 1st, 1945 Jim married Kathleen Aair Andrews. After the end of WWII, & upon completing his education at Cal Tech, Jim & Kay move to Fresno where they raised their four children. In 1950, Jim built, owned, and operated the Whirlwind Car Wash on H street. In 1965, Red Carpet Car Wash on Blackstone and Holland opened, also owned and operated business with three of the children and one grand child joining in. Jim was active in past president of and lifetime member of tghe Lions Club and active in and past president of the International Car Wash Association. Jim was preceeded in death by his parents, wife Kay, and brother Stewart Bowie. He is survived by wife Evelyn Bowie, sister Alice Jane Ott, of Mason WA, son, James T. Bowie, of Palm Desert CA. Son David Bowie and wife Lindy, Daughter Karen Calkins and husband John. And daughter Kathryn Bowie all of Fresno CA. Grand-children Micheal Bowie also of Fresno, Paige Bowie of Oakland and Christina Giguiere of Santa Barbra, and two grerat-grand-children Logan and Elizabeth Bowie. Per Jims request, a small family service will be held. Rememberances may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association:550 W. Alluvail St 106, Fresno CA 93711, or to the veterans of Foreign Wars: 3585 N. Blythe Ave, Fresno CA 93722 God's speed "Pops" You will be greatly missed. He has a good attitude towards life. He has the desire to be as active now as he's always been. I have great admiration and respect for this man. My grandpa has the determination to succeed at everything he does. He turned seventy years old this year though he acts like he's forty. He's been married more than half his life (46 years) to the same women, my grandmother. Aside from this he still runs the family business with my father. He has welcomed all of his four children into the business and three of them are working with him today. (My family owns and runs four car washes, one of them being in Sacramento.) If you think he does a lot right now, you're get another thing coming. When it comes to getting involved, my grandfather takes first place. He plays a big part in my and my sisters life by keeping up with what we do. My granpa comes and watches my basketball and softball games, as well as my sisters gymnastics meets. Whether I'm playing at home or out of town, he trys his best to be there. When he arrives at a basket ball game or a gym meet he just doesn't sit there like a bump on a log either. He roots and cheers and has become a big fan of both of our athletic activities. This is why it'snot surprising that he plays some sports of his own. Active is an understatement when it come's to Gramp. He plays racquetball, skis, and fishes in his spare time. He also cooks meals for himself and his wife. He cooks meals that are healthy and good for you. Because of this and the fact that he keeps active, you can understand why my grandpa is in such excellent health. The last reason why I admire my granpa is because he's interesting and fun to be around. When my sister and I visit, he plays pol and other games with us. That's not all though. My grandpa also has a very intriguing history. He fought in World War II as a pilot and flew off the aircraft carrier called the U.S.S. Cabot. After that he went to Cal Tech and majored in aeronautical engineering. This college was one of the most, if not the most, prestigious schools in the country. As you can see, I admire my grandpa for the wonderful person he is all around. He is living a very full and exciting life and probably will continue this type of life util he's 110, As I grow older, I hope to live this kind of fulfilling and inspiring life. Written by grand-daughter Paige Bowie When she was eleven years old.