Nancy Bowles

1930 - 2026

Nancy Bowles

Nancy Thumma Bowles passed away on January 20, 2026, after 95 years of a life well-lived. Born in Harrisburg, Pa., she was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Sara Thumma, and her siblings, Jane Benziger, Phyllis Gingrich, William Thumma, and James Thumma.

Nancy lived life to the fullest.

She was an international traveler who forged deep and lasting friendships in Germany and Japan. She had a sincere passion for the arts and loved nothing more than sharing that passion with her family, frequenting operas, symphonies, art museums, and ballets both at home and abroad. She also delighted in leading regular New York City family excursions, staying in quirky hotels, dining at off-the-beaten-path restaurants, and attending off-beat and Off-Broadway performances.

Her love of music permeated the Bowles household. From violins to trumpets to tubas, there was always a family performance close at hand, whether on the porch, the parlor, or around the dining room table.

She was a free spirit who famously took Flamenco lessons, loved swimming by moonlight, and was known to slip away during family ski vacations to make snow angels.

A lover of animals, Nancy was a compassionate caregiver to dozens of spoiled dogs, some by choice and many by happenstance. A knowledgeable bird enthusiast, she surrounded herself with feeding stations and traveled miles to witness annual migrations. Her gardens were always filled with radiant flowers, often visited by her favorite monarch butterflies.

Nancy cared deeply for her community, where she led the Kents Store Agricultural Recreational Center for years and was a board member of Goochland Fellowship & Family Services (now Goochland Cares). She was the doting steward of the Bowles family farm, The Oaks, a registered historic landmark, where she went to great lengths to preserve its deep family history. A conservationist, Nancy preserved nearly 200 acres in perpetuity and brought solar energy to her 200-year-old farm.

And, of course, politics, suffice it to say Nancy had strongly held political views and wasn't shy about sharing them, always with friends (and oftentimes with passersby). She volunteered on behalf of countless political campaigns and chaired the Goochland Democratic Committee for several years. Wherever she went, Nancy used her voice to lift up those around her and to advocate for those who could not always advocate for themselves.

Above all, Nancy cherished her family. She was the beloved wife of her late husband, George A. Bowles, Jr.; mother of four sons who survive her, Jim (Barbara), George, Mark (Katharine), and Thomas; grandmother to seven grandchildren, Lindsey (Loren), Sara (Neil), Logan (Jennifer), Ashby (Monica), Emily (Christopher), Katie, and Eli Kennon (Casey); and proud great-grandmother to nine.

She will always be remembered as the architect of countless family traditions. Through these traditions and the values she lived by, she will continue to be a guiding light for generations to come.

The family will hold a private service for Nancy in February, followed by a celebration of life on April 26, 2026. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory are encouraged to the University of Virginia Center for Politics (www.centerforpolitics.org) or the Kents Store Agricultural Recreational Center, P. O. Box 13, Kents Store, Virginia 23084.