William D. Bowell Sr.

Age 90 Founder, Padelford Riverboat Co. Passed away April 19 in the company of his family from complications of bladder cancer. He was born Feb. 14, 1921 in St. Paul. In 1969 Capt. Bowell andhis wife, Lillian founded the Padelford Co. at Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul, a place where he and hisbrothers sold popcorn from theirfather's stand in the 1930's. His daughters and nephew, Steve Bowell acquired the riverboat businessin 2001. A founder of the nationalPassenger Vessel Association, he served as the PVA's first president serving from 1970 to 1978. Afterretiring in 2001 he created the Capt. William D. Bowell, Sr. Rivers Library at the National Rivers Hall of Fame Museum in Dubuque, IA. As an armyparatrooper in WWII he jumped into Normandy, France behind enemy lines on D-Day and he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He earned four Battle Stars, Arrowhead for European Theater, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantry Badge, three French Croix de Guerres, Bronze Starand Purple Heart. In 2010 he wasbelatedly awarded the French Legion of Honor by President Nicolas Sarkozy for his military service. After the war he graduated from Macalester College and became a photographer and curator for the Minnesota Historical Society. Laterhe was sales liaison engineer with Studebaker Automotive, account executive with a major marketing company in Chicago and part owner of an injection molding firm in St. Paul. Macalester College recognized him in 2006 with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He issurvived by his partner Dorothy Calabrese; Lillian Flatten Bowell, DeBary, FL; daughters Shelley Bowell (Jim) Kosmo, Bayport; and Elizabeth Bowell (Bobby) Myers, DeBary, FL; son William D. Bowell, Jr., NewRichmond, WI; Jaime and JasonCalabrese, Minneapolis; sisters Nancy Jean (Dan) Kohl, Sun City, AZ; Donna (Don) Dulude, Biloxi, MS; brother Dick (Roxanne) Bowell, Palmer, AK; eight grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by sisters Betty Jane, Mary, Phyllis and Patty and brothers Robert, Tom, Jim and Jack. The family extends special thanks to the kind staffs of MayoClinic, Rochester, and Walker-Methodist Health Care Center, Minneapolis. Memorials are preferred to the Minnesota Historical Society. Service Monday, 3:00 P.M. at BRADSHAW CELEBRATION OF LIFE CENTER, 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard (NW corner of Hwy 36 & Co Rd 5), Stillwater. Interment Lakewood Cemetery. Visitation Sunday, 4-8 P.M. and also one hour prior to the service. 2800 Curve Crest Blvd., Stillwater 651-439-5511