Sad news to share.
I believe that our debbie on Balloon Juice was this this Debbie L. Bowman.
Nothing would make me happier than to find out that this is not our debbie, but the timing fits; many of the details fit.
Our debbie’s last name was Bowman, and like the debbie in the obituary, our debbie worked in publishing in NYC in the 80s and 90s, she went to an all girls school, she liked the works of Mary Oliver. Another Scott found an email message from July 7, 2022 where she tells us she had just gotten over a collapsed lung.
I haven’t been able to reach a family member to confirm that our debbie was this debbie, but I am as confident as I can possibly be without that.
Rest in peace, debbie. We have been missing you!
Debbie L. Bowman
NOVEMBER 30, 1952 – JULY 24, 2022Debbie Lynn Bowman was born on November 30,1952 and died July 24,2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Preceding her in death were her beloved parents Gus Karl Bowman Jr. and Evelyn Press Bowman.
Debbie had a highly sensitive and fiercely independent nature. She was a true introvert with a wicked sense of humor. Debbie inherited an affinity and talent for the fine arts through her paternal side and her strong opinions and baking skills from her maternal side.
Her dream was to be an illustrator for children’s books or work in publishing, which she accomplished working at Scribner Publishing in New York City in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.
When Debbie moved back to Columbus, she used her many talents with local organizations and was deeply involved with her most cherished nieces and nephews. Debbie graduated from Columbus School for Girls in 1970, attended Pine Manor, graduated from CCAD.
Surviving Debbie are her brothers and their families: Gus Karl Bowman III (Sandy) Lauren, Gus IV and Gabriela; David Lewis Bowman (Sharon) David Jr and James; and James A Bowman (Tracey) Lindsay, Andrew and Caroline; cousins Julie Harmon, Molly Harmon Ruben, Kathy Harmon Shkolnik, Rocky Harmon, and Michael Bowman; friends Randi Stein Hutton and Jill Levy.
Her most precious possession at the time of her death was Mary Oliver’s “Devotions”. “…But here’s the kingdom we call remembrance with its thousand iron doors through which I pass so easily, switching on the old lights as I go—while the dead wind rises and the old rapture rewinds, the stiff waters once more begin to kick and flow.”
Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
debbie, it would be nice to think that you and the other beloved BJ peeps who have gone on before us are hanging out together in some way, somewhere.
Rest in peace, debbie. You are loved.
Yutsano
I guess it’s at least possible, especially since she hasn’t come back from around that time. Well shoot. Goodbye debbie.
Alison Rose
Whether she was or was not our debbie, may her memory be a blessing to all who knew her 💜
FelonyGovt
Aww, we’ve lost some good ones. May her memory be a blessing.
I have a letter for my family with my wishes upon my demise (ex.: no religious service of any kind). I think I will add to it to direct them to notify BJ and one or two other social media sites where I’m a regular.
zhena gogolia
So sad.
WaterGirl
@Alison Rose: She has our debbie’s last name, and several life events are listed in the obituary that match things we know about debbie.
zhena gogolia
@FelonyGovt: Yes, I’ve been thinking the same thing.
MomSense
Thank you for posting this, Watergirl.
As the surviving founding member of the yell at NPR in the car club I just want to say how much I miss you. Your radio rants came from a good place, empathy and caring for others. I hope you are at peace.
TBone
She and I share a birthday with Mark Twain. I don’t know if it’s wise to post that info but damn, here’s to you, Debbie, tho I didn’t know ye I hope you meet all your heroes.
“I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with Halley’s Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt, Now here are these two unaccountable freaks. They came in together; they must go out together.”
Kristine
I hope her journey proved peaceful. Farewell, debbie.
Baud
That’s definitely consistent with our Debbie.
Baud
@FelonyGovt:
I suppose I should be responsible and do something similar.
WaterGirl
@Baud: You forgot “strong opinions” also a match with our debbie. I smiled at that one.
Alison Rose
@WaterGirl: Yes. Would be quite a coincidence if she were not.
She sounds like she was an amazing person. So very sorry for her loved ones. 70 is way too young.
sab
That sounds like her. Thank you water girl for posting this.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: Yes, the whole thing sounded right.
WaterGirl
@zhena gogolia: @Baud: @FelonyGovt:
Anyone is free to share my WaterGirl email with anyone, or share contact information that I can keep under lock and key. Break glass in case of emergencies.
Starfish
You keep tabs on all of us? Even the lurkers?
Thank you for letting us know.
Starfish
@Baud: In lieu of flowers, send green balloons.
eclare
Thank you for your persistence in finding this, WaterGirl. Debbie is definitely missed, and 70 is way too young.
RIP. Many condolences to her family.
Elizabelle
Debbie was one of my favorites. Rest well.
I think of Amir a lot, too.
Prescott Cactus
Much peace debbie and also to all your nieces and nephews.
WaterGirl
@Starfish: No, of course I don’t keep tabs. MomSense provided the info about publishing in NYC, Another Scott searched for girls school and found the comment, etc.
eclare
@Elizabelle:
Me too. And his guitars and new kitty.
espierce
@sab:
It does sound like her and going to CSG for high school fits in her knowledge of the east side of Columbus; we discussed Rubino’s Pizza once and she certainly knew all about it.
RIP, Debbie
trollhattan
So sorry to hear this.
Safe journeys Debbie, and thank you for being you.
sab
@espierce: I am so sorry. She was such a good voice here.
Geminid
This is very sad news. I was worried when debbie disappeared, and after some months I was pretty sure she had passed on but I am still sad to see this.
I remember joking with debbie about the time change, on an April, 2022 Garden Thread. We also talked more seriously about Israel, and where we each would visit if we ever got to go there.
Debbie was a true-blue Feminist, and when Ohio voters passed the abortion rights referendum last year I felt sorry Debbie was not here to celebrate with us. But maybe she was.
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: I did something very similar when I had a major issue last year. Couple of weeks away from an anniversary of sorts, in fact.
stinger
Aw, damn. Rest in peace, Debbie.
Another Scott
Thanks for solving the mystery for us, WaterGirl.
She was a strong and important voice here. It’s very sad that she’s really gone. :-(
Peace and comfort to all.
Best wishes,
Scott.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Sad news. Peace and strength to those who loved her.
Nukular Biskits
@Alison Rose:
You said it far better than I could.
Tenar Arha
OTOH I feel the hope this wasn’t “our” Debbie, but ditto re: may her memory be a blessing.
Elizabelle
If this blog has taught us anything, it’s that you can’t take anyone for granted. Person or pet.
Noskilz
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully things will go as well as they possibly can for her friends and family.
Bex
Each of us wears a shadow.
But just now it is summer again
and I am watching the lilies bow to each other,
then slide on the wind and the tug of desire,
close, close to one another.
Soon now, I’ll turn and start for home.
And who knows, maybe I’ll be singing.
From “The Pond” by Mary Oliver
WaterGirl
@Bex: A fitting tribute, thanks for that.
(wiping tears away now)
JPL
@WaterGirl: Thank you for following up. Debbie will always be a member of the BJ community.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Rest in peace, Debbie. Thank you for this, WaterGirl. We all know it’s coming but the losses over the years still take a bit of a toll on the spirit.
Ohio Mom
I have a vague memory that in debbie’s last comments, she hinted that something was not going right for her, that there was some trouble brewing. Then—poof—! It was so discombobulating to me, I felt a sort of comraderie as a fellow Ohioan.
If I ever thought knowing what happened would somehow (I hate this term) bring closure, I was wrong, it just makes me sad in its finality. I hope she had a peaceful transition.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Rest in peace, Debbie. It was always a joy to talk to you and it was nice having a connection to a fellow Ohioan. I’ll miss you
Thank you WG and Another Scott
CaseyL
Damn. I really liked Debbie’s comments.
Thank you for tracking down the information, WaterGirl. When one of our people goes silent, it’s good to know what happened.
Balloon Juice Motto: “Stay in touch. We worry.”
Ave atque vale, Debbie.
WaterGirl
@CaseyL: Yeah, debbie was a favorite for a lot of us. It’s sad to know, but hard to not know.
I’m not sure we’ll ever know about Amir; I miss his presence.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@WaterGirl:
I miss Amir, too. He was in the hospital last we heard from him, wasn’t he?
WaterGirl
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Nope, Amir was out of the hospital, and home, and he had a new kitty. The whole thing is heartbreaking.
TriassicSands
Goodbye to Debbie. I am so sorry to hear this news. There aren’t enough good people in the world and the loss of one more is very sad.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@WaterGirl:
That is heartbreaking. I hope we find out what happened to him some day. I also hope the new kitty has a good home if the worst happened
eclare
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
IIRC his sister went with him to pick out the kitty or was involved in some way. I tell myself she gave the kitty a home.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
To Debbie’s family, know that she is loved on this site and deeply missed.
I thought about her a couple of times this week, after the special election and after the Super Bowl – how much I enjoyed communicating with her about sports (she was a devoted listener of sports talk radio) and how I hoped she would return to our community.
She was a good egg.
thalarctosMaritimus
@Elizabelle: I think of Amir a lot, too.
kalakal
Oh so sad to hear. Go well Debbie
SFAW
I’ve missed debbie’s presence for a long time. I kept hoping she was just taking an extended break. I am so sad to see this, she was a person I enjoyed reading.
SFAW
@WaterGirl:
I apologize for my lousy comprehension/inference skills, but do you/we actually know that Amir has passed? Or are you/we just assuming it because he’s been away for so long?
He’s another commenter I miss a lot. I can’t recall him ever being mean to anyone here, and I always enjoyed reading him.
WaterGirl
@SFAW: I miss Amir terribly. Sadly, we know nothing. One day he was here, recently home from the hospital, and had just gotten a new kitty with a beautiful name.
And then, nothing.
I have Amir’s email address because he sent me photos of his beautiful kitty, Aoife.
HIs last message to me was this, which I believe I shared along with the photos if Aoife:
WaterGirl
@SFAW: Amir was smart, kind, interesting. A wonderful person, a great writer. There’s a reason everyone loved him.
Amir had been gone for about 5 weeks, giving us a scare, and then he was back and with a new kitty. It’s been more than half a year now, so I don’t hold out much hope that we will see him again.
Miss Bianca
Was it really that long ago that debbie stopped posting? Damn. RIP.
Paul in KY
RIP dear soul.
SFAW
@WaterGirl:
@WaterGirl:
Thanks for clarifying for me.
I dearly hope he is OK, but I also don’t think it’s likely. Damn.
WaterGirl
@SFAW: Big sigh.