We are writing to all of you in light of the loss of Doreen M. Bowie a long-term member of the Plateau community. Our mother died after years of fighting the effects of age and dementia. We do not define her life by how she died but instead by how she lived. Doreen Maye (Lindo) Bowie, became part of the plateau community when she arrived with her family in the summer of 1964. A native of Toronto, Ontario, she had previously lived in New York City; Leonia, New Jersey; Hancock, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Christchurch, New Zealand.

Many of you knew her from her work at Community Memorial Hospital (CMH). Her nursing career began at the Wellesley School of Nursing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and included periods at Presbyterian Hospital in NYC and Minneapolis General Hospital. She was among the first of the hospital staff at CMH – including physicians – to master cardiography. As a Registered Nurse she touched the lives of many people – from newborns in the nursery, patients suffering trauma in the ER, those recovering from surgery and those at the end of their lives.

In truth, she saw herself as much an educator as a nurse. Driven to ensure the quality of services provided to the community she served as the Director of Inservice Education, helping her fellow nurses be the best they could be. After leaving CMH she worked for Bethesda Manor, Rainier School, Tacoma Lutheran Home, the State of Washington, and Willepa Harbor Hospital.

Striving to improve herself she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Washington State College and a Master of Arts in Organizational Development from Antioch University in Seattle. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Our mother’s community involvements included the Girl Scouts of America, Cub Scouts, The PTA, the Plateau Area Writers’ Guild, Arts Alive, the King County Fair, the City Planning Commission, and the Senior Center. From her little white “Truckie” she carried on The Bread Man ministry for years. She chaired the Foundation For Enumclaw.

As an active member of the Episcopal Church, she was an ordained Lay Reader, Choir Member and served on the Bishop’s Committee at St. Catherine’s until it closed.

Joining her Son Craig and Daughter In Law Stacy, she moved her membership to St. Matthew in Auburn.

Mom was creative as an aspiring painter and a prolific writer of essays, poems, and doggerel. She enjoyed playing Mrs. Cratchit at community events during the Christmas season. She sang with her church and the Community Chorus. Her home was a storehouse for items from which she created countless baskets to be auctioned for Charity.

Remembering her are Bonnie Yelton (Kennewick, WA), Stephen and Kristin Bowie (Waunakee, WI), Geoffrey and Emmy Bowie (Black Diamond, WA) and Craig and Stacy Bowie (Aurora, CO) and their families.

Even in death our mother fought the thing that took her from us, donating her body to the University of Washington Medical School for research.

For all you were and all you hoped to be, we love you, Mother, Mum, Mummo Gun-ger-ger.