Roberta Ann Dowlen

Roberta Ann Dowlen (née Kaiser), "Bobbie," died on Tuesday 8 Oct. at her home in Washougal. Bobbie was a fifth generation Californian whose Tyson relatives were original 49ers; they settled in what is now Fremont, in the east Bay Area. Bobbie's parents were Harriet Tyson and Karl Kaiser; Karl immigrated from Switzerland. Growing up, Bobbie loved visiting relatives in the Redding/Shasta area vacationing in Clear Lake, and until recently enjoyed spending time at Santa Cruz or Seaside beaches. Bobbie attended Washington Union High School and after graduation, she married her high school boyfriend, John Quaid. Bobbie attended San Jose State University and graduated with a degree in elementary education. She and John had two children, Kerey and Tavia; however, they divorced in 1963. Bobbie married Michael Dowlen in 1965. Mike was a fireman in Livermore and while living in Livermore, Bobbie and Mike had daughters, Shauna, April, Noel, and son, Shane. The family moved back to Fremont in 1971. Bobbie loved being a full-time mom; she enjoyed using her creative talents to sew clothes and specialized in costumes. The sound of her sewing machine, busily producing Halloween, dance recital, and theatre costumes, was a normal hum in their house. Additionally, Bobbie had a bit of a "side hustle" making prom, bridesmaid, and wedding dresses. During the '70s, Bobbie and Mike's hobby was raising AKC collies. Dog shows were family outings. In the '80s, Bobbie became an avid doll collector and leaves behind an impressive collection of Toni Dolls and Barbies. More recently, Bobbie collected coins; while battling cancer, she began collections for her great-grandchildren. Bobbie and Mike moved to Washougal in 2000 where they were near daughters, Tavia and Shauna and their families. After Mike died from Parkinson's, and because of attending her 50th high school reunion, Bobbie started dating John Quaid - again! John died in 2015, and Bobbie was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Throughout her illness, Bobbie was able to stay in her house in Washougal where her granddaughter, Brandy, Brandy's partner, Robert, and their children were Bobbie's constant companions. The family is very grateful to Brandy for her outstanding care for Bobbie throughout her cancer treatment and especially during her final few weeks of hospice care. Although Shane predeceased Bobbie, her other children, grandchildren, Sarah, Karl, Madison, Aidan, Gabrielle, Anastasia, Renee, Zachary, Joshua, Hayden, Brandy, and Blaine; and her great-grandchildren, Layla, Clara, Emma, Lacy, Liam, Jett, Arian, Ryker and Odessa will all miss her very much.