Harry Bertram Bowman Jr.

Harry Bertram Bowman, Jr. Jan. 5, 1925 - Oct. 16, 2010 There it sits, a Rube Goldberg contraption worthy of the Smithsonian, all gears, pulleys, nuts, bolts, and painted Golden Gate Bridge orange. It was Harry's invention, a rotisserie that launched a hundred wonderful parties in his San Francisco garden. Guests were greeted by the delicious aromas of chickens and ribs, slowly turning over a big outdoor barbecue. And there was Harry, holding court in his chef's apron, basting brush dripping with secret sauce, inviting us to the feast. Harry loved a good time. He was a bachelor until he turned forty when he married Claire Stadler, the love of the rest of his life. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois, moving with his family to the Bay Area when he was six. He graduated from San Mateo High School and joined the Navy, serving in the South Pacific until the end of World War II. He worked in the industrial supply business but loved the weekends when he could hop in his MG convertible and head to Pebble Beach and Del Mar for road rallies and amateur car races. He followed the motor racing scene as it developed and was an avid outdoors man. He and Claire loved to travel but found that faraway places could not compare to their late spring and early fall trips to Lake Tahoe, when the tourists were gone and stillness prevailed. Harry is survived by his wife, his sister Clarissa Dyer, and a multitude of loving nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and older sister Adalene Ross Riley. The family wants particularly to thank the dear neighbors and friends who checked in with Harry constantly, the caregivers whose humor and kindness will never be forgotten and the Pathways Hospice team that made Harry's last days comfortable, enabling him to pass away peacefully at home. Funeral services will be private.