Deacon Michael A. Bowen

Deacon Michael A. Bowen

Michael Anthony Bowen, Roman Catholic deacon and beloved husband and father, died on January 19, 2021 from complications of the pulmonary hypertension that he had battled over the past two years.

He is survived by his wife, Sara Armbruster Bowen; his children, Rebecca (Eric) Sigmon, Christopher (Amanda Morris), John, Marguerite (Bruno) Morlan and James; and his grandchildren Jade and Hailey Bowen and Anna, Laura and Stephen Sigmon. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Daniel Bowen, and his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Bowen and Gabrielle Edwards; and other relatives and friends who cherish his memory, as well as his brother deacons of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Judith (Carter-Waller) Bowen, and by his baby sister, Mary Catherine Bowen.

Michael was born in 1951. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and was educated by the Jesuits at Rockhurst High School and Rockhurst College. He was a 1976 graduate of the Harvard Law School, and spent 39 years as a litigation attorney at the Foley & Lardner law firm. He retired from the partnership in 2015.

Michael was an accomplished novelist. His first novel, Can't Miss, published in 1987, described the adventures of the first woman to play major league baseball, an event he thought could happen by 1990 (that we are still awaiting). He then published 19 successful mystery novels under his own name and that of his pseudonym Hillary Bell Locke, as well as a 2002 imagining of a successful 2004 presidential campaign by Hillary Clinton. His final book, False Flag in Autumn, was released in 2019, just before his illness was diagnosed.

Michael discerned a religious calling in the early 2000s, and after several years of formation, was ordained a Roman Catholic deacon in 2012 by Archbishop Jerome Listecki. He served at St. Monica Parish in Whitefish Bay, which had been his home parish since 1977. His monthly homilies challenged and entertained parishioners. He particularly cherished the joy of baptizing children and the privilege of sharing the faith journeys of parishioners with health issues. His own journey with pulmonary hypertension was eased by the wisdom he had gained from his pastoral visits. He was happy to serve his fellow deacons as current president of the Archdiocesan Deacon Senate.

One of Michael's last written requests to Sara, after intubation silenced his oral voice, was that people not risk their safety to attend his funeral in the current health crisis. His funeral Mass on Monday, January 25th will be private, but details for accessing the livestream Mass will be available on the Feerick website.

In lieu of flowers, Mike requested memorials to Franciscan Peacemakers, Women's Care Center, or St. Monica Parish. Details are on the Feerick website.

As one of his longtime law partners summarized: "He preached the Gospel not just from a pulpit, but from the way he lived his life. May he rest in peace."