Thomas Edward Bowen

Thomas Edward Bowen, born March 29, 1940 to Edward D. and Betty Basford Bowen in Marion, Ohio passed March 4, 2014 of a heart attack in his sleep, due to complications from his long existing condition of COPD.

Upon leaving the Navy, he moved to Columbus, Ohio where he attended Ohio State University while also learning to fly. It was there that he met and married Sue Cole of Columbus in 1963. They had two children David Andrew and Diane Elaine.

In 1964, Tom enlisted in the U. S. Army. Following completion of his training, Tom was sent to Viet Nam as a pilot in the UH1D armed helicopter (HUEY) gunship (121st company), stationed in Soc Trang province. Returning from Viet Nam, he worked for American Airways as a flight instructor.

He and the family moved to San Diego in 1975 where he entered Western State Law School, earning a juris doctorate degree.

In 1977, he moved the family to Fallbrook to begin work at Aero Publishers, an aviation publishing firm, as V.P. of sales. He later began working for Hughes Helicopter as an aerospace engineer. Following that, he started working for General Dynamics in the same capacity and retried from that firm.

Tom was preceded in death by his first wife Sue, his sister and nephew Judy and John Velandra. He is survived by his second wife, Ardis, since 1977, and his two children Diane Hicks (David) of Tenn., grandchildren Brittany Dotson and Zachary Hicks, and great-grandchildren Nicholas, Noah and Benjamin Dotson; and son David Bowen and grandchildren Christine and Michael Bowen.

He will be interred at Ft. Rosecrans Cemetery and will join Sue overlooking the ocean. There will be no service. Tom is missed very much by all who knew and loved him.