Marcus Dale Bowman entered our world on a sunny Thursday afternoon, August 26, 1971, at Vancouver Memorial Hospital. While attending Lincoln Elementary School, he began playing the bass. Taking to it naturally, he continued playing at Shumway and later in the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Clark College where he graduated as a theater major.
It was at Hudson Bay High School, Mark became interested in drama, appearing in several productions at Hudson Bay and Clark College including "Double in Diamonds," "The Taming of the Shrew," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Other People's Money," and "Ten Little Indians." Many other non-school related productions were graced with his performances including Music Theater Oregon's 1990 Equity's production of "Evita" and Youth Unlimited's "What About the Children." He also appeared in "My Story" (NBC Movie of the Week), made several local commercials and did some modeling work.
In 1991, he spent a fun-filled summer working in the Character Department at Disneyland. Mark was a natural on stage and could always capture your heart with his easy smile and warm sense of humor.
At the end of his high school years, he worked as a cashier at the Main Street Safeway store until selected to appear in Evita. Most recently, he worked at Computer City and for three years as a temporary at Hewlett Packard.
Mark had an active interest in photography, enjoyed scuba diving, sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, hiking and was especially fond of his motorcycle.
His life ended tragically on Saturday morning, March 29, 1997. Mark was very much loved and will be greatly missed by his mother Glenna R. Bowman, his brother Darin M. Bowman and sister-in-law Tina M. Bowman, his brother Rory G. Bowman all of Vancouver. Other survivors include his father John David M. Bowman of Portland, great-grandmother Jane A. Goodin; Grandmothers Opal L. Bloomberg of Buckley and Dorothy L. Sorokowski of Seattle; Aunt Rosemary Collins, Uncle Lance W. Bowman, Cousins Lisa and Chad Funderburg, Gerri Hill, Sandi and Breanne Traub, Nathan, Michael and Jaime Bowman.
A memorial service will be held for Mark at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 1997, at Cascade Park Baptist Church, 1201 S.E. 136th Avenue, Vancouver.
The family asks that in memory of Mark that you write a remembrance of him and send to the family at P.O. Box 1001, Vancouver, WA 98666, or drop it by his mother's house, to be shared with his family and friends. Remembrances received by Tuesday will be placed in a book to be shared at the service on Thursday. If you wish to speak at Mark's memorial, please prepare what you would like to say and contact the family. This service will be a celebration of Mark's life for the people who loved him and whose lives were touched by him.
Mark found God a few hours before his death; it would be appropriate for each of you who loved him to plant a tree in his name. Also each evening when the sky is clear, stop to look at the constellations as he did so often and contemplate God's love.
The family is planning to set up a Vancouver School for Arts and Academics drama award in Mark's name to be awarded to a senior drama student each year. The family is also setting up a annual scholarship at Clark College to be awarded in Mark's name to a student each year. Anyone wishing to donate to the scholarship fund, send a check made payable to Clark College Foundation to the family at P.O. Box 1001, Vancouver, WA 98666. Donations can also be made in Mark's name to Guide Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, CA 97915 .
