Jimmy R. Bowers

Jimmy Raymond Bowers, father, grandfather, uncle, and loyal friend to many, passed away on December 17, 2023 in Oklahoma City. Jim was born on November 15, 1938 in Shawnee, Oklahoma to James Frederick Bowers and Lucille Magnolia Crosslin. Jimmy spent his childhood mainly in Shawnee going to Irving Elementary School. He attended Shawnee High school where he met and fell in love with Connie June Gilley. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1956 and Connie graduated in 1957. They were married in 1958. Living in Shawnee, they had two children, Ty Scott Bowers (1959), and Tracy Sue Bowers (1961). Jim and Connie were married from 1957 to 2020, when Connie passed away after 62 years of marriage.

Jim had a varied career path starting as an aircraft mechanic, then as a postal worker, on to become a foreman for Shawnee Construction, then the manager of Shawnee Suzuki and Honda motorcycle dealership (his favorite job ever), to finally land in the oil and natural gas industry where he would become a top salesman and technical advisor. He utilized his “gift for gab” as well as his mechanical knowledge to sell equipment and solve problems for a number of industry companies in Oklahoma and Texas.

He was a gentle and multi-talented man who possessed real artistic ability. He loved jazz, played drums in a local jazz trio, was a loyal friend to many and would talk for hours about cars, motorcycles, music, the OKC Thunder, and OU football. He enjoyed spending time with his family at sporting events where he passionately supported both his son and his daughter in their athletic pursuits. He also loved “junking” with his grandkids in the downtown Shawnee junk stores. Jim was a nostalgic man who loved his home town of Shawnee and valued spending time in his backyard workshop that was filled with vintage cars, motorcycles, and stereo gear. He would tinker for hours trying to fix anything that was in need of repair. Throughout his life, he carried himself with dignity and the attitude that if it was broken, then he could fix it. He was always considered the “cool” dad amongst his children’s friends. His Shawnee home became the designated hangout for a lot of his kid’s friends because he (and Connie) treated them like family.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Connie Bowers, father, Fred Bowers, and mother, Lucille Bowers. He is survived by his son, Ty Bowers, daughter, Tracy Simon, brother, Larry Bowers, grandchildren, Sam Bowers, Lukas Bowers, Torie Simon and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Ceremony for Jim will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at the Walker Funeral Chapel in Shawnee beginning at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675.