William Bowen

1963 - 2024

William Bowen

January 11, 1963 - December 31, 2024

William (Bill) Albert Bowen, 61, also known as Happy Pappy, went to be with his Lord and Savior on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, while snorkeling at The Dogs, British Virgin Islands. He was surrounded by loved ones and was in the ocean doing what he loved, when a pulmonary embolism sent him home to Heaven.

Bill was born in Midland, Mich. on Friday, Jan 11, 1963 to William David Bowen and Martha Irene (Hawkins) Bowen. Bill graduated from Bullock Creek High School in 1981, where he played football, wrestled, and was a member of the band. He first played trumpet, then transitioned to baritone for his last two years. Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Olivet Nazarene University (Kankakee, Ill.) in 1985, where he competed on the wrestling team and met his late wife, Kristin. Shortly after graduation, Bill worked for three years at Industrial Services Enterprise (Dover, NJ). Bill worked in the overhead crane department, preparing job cost estimates, sales proposals, and field supervising overhead hoist installations, which kick started his 40 year career in the overhead crane industry. Grumman Aerospace was one of ISE's primary customers, where they built military fighter planes for the US Navy. Bill moved to North Carolina in 1988 to work for Southern Handling & Equipment (Greensboro, NC). Here, Bill and Kristin planted their roots and raised a loving family of five. In the spring of 1993, Bill ventured out and cofounded Piedmont Hoist & Crane (Greensboro, NC) with his brother-in-law, Rich Burns. In 2012, Bill sold his shares of Piedmont Hoist & Crane and founded Global Crane Services (Greensboro, NC). Bill is a renowned overhead hoist and crane engineer, and both a salesman and a "sailsman". Known to many as Daddy Cranes and Captain Bill. He loved what he did and the people he met and partnered with along the way.

When Bill wasn't selling cranes, he was doing anything and everything having to do with water, particularly the sea. He was an avid sailor, scuba driver, snorkeler, fisherman, and "fisher of men". Spreading God's word was something he took very seriously, and very enthusiastically. He loved participating in and funding mission trips, and just plain 'ol doing God's work.

Second to God, Bill's greatest passion was family and camaraderie. Playing cards, assembling jigsaw puzzles, solving crosswords, baking the infamous Bowen date-filled cookies, singing along to his favorite country and western songs, and participating in water activities are just a few of the things he thoroughly enjoyed sharing with loved ones. His beaming smile, notoriously bellowing laugh, dry sense of humor, and infamous dad jokes will be greatly missed.

Bill was preceded in death by his late wife, Kristin Bowen; his oldest sister, Yvonne Biggar; and his parents, Bill and Martha Bowen.

Bill is followed in death by his brother-in-law, John Biggar.

Bill is survived by his wife, Sheri Postma-Bowen; his three children, Sara (Mike) Czerepak, Mandy (Bryan) West, and Jake Bowen; and his granddaughter, Raylan Czerepak.

A celebration of life service is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025 at the Morehead United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donating to the following mission organizations that were very near and dear to Bill's heart:

Mission Partners for Christ: https://missionpartnersforchrist.org/

Friends of Cozumel: https://friendsofcozumel.com/