It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Don Bowen, founding faculty of Moorpark College on September 2, 2025. Don’s son, Michael Bowen, retired physics/mathematics professor from Ventura College, has provided the following thoughts on the passing of his father: “It is with great sadness that I report the death of my father, Donald C. Bowen, in the early evening of September 2, from complications of a stroke he suffered about two weeks ago. He passed in Vancouver, WA, at age 95, after spending his last few days in home hospice care. My sister Kimberly and I were able to visit him while he was still conscious enough to recognize us, but shortly thereafter he slipped into a coma from which he did not awaken. We are grateful to have had this opportunity to interact with him one last time, and we thank his wife Kyle for hosting us.
“My father was one of the founding faculty at Moorpark College, where he taught accounting. He was also chair of the business department for many of the 24 years of his teaching career. Before that, he worked in private industry as an auditor and computer operator. He retired in 1991, the same year that I began my own teaching career at Oxnard (and, later, Ventura) College.
“He had many interests outside of accounting. He loved history, literature, and flying private (small) aircraft. He earned numerous flying licenses and ratings, including instrument, commercial, aerobatic, and seaplane. He mostly flew out of Santa Paula and Santa Susana airports. My father was particularly adept at identifying military aircraft, and could tell you the engine model and displacement of most of the planes used in World War II, both Allied and enemy.
“He read over a thousand books after he retired, including scholarly collections such as Durant’s series “The History of Civilization.” He memorized and could quote numerous poems (everything from bawdy limericks to Ozymandias), and passages (some of them obscure) from Shakespeare. My father also asked me numerous questions about mathematics and physics, which interested him even though his understanding was limited. He knew so many factoids outside his field of study that a teaching colleague once called him a “compendium of trivia.”
“He had a sharp wit and a ready collection of bon mots. He was a great believer in the value of education, and provided the bulk of financial support for Kimberly and me to attend college (thank you, Dad!). He also donated to San Diego State University (his alma mater), UCLA (where he earned the first of his two MBAs), and the Moorpark College Foundation. I hope you will consider making a donation in his memory to one of these worthy organizations.
“Per his request, there will be no memorial service, and his Facebook accounts have been deactivated. I will miss his love, wit, and generosity.”
Retired (February 2015); Dean, Career and Technical Education, Oxnard College (2008-2015); Professor, Business, Oxnard College (1992-2008); Adjunct Professor, Business, Business Information Systems, Moorpark and Ventura Colleges (1976-1992); Intermediate Steno-Secretary, Moorpark and Ventura Colleges (1970-1974).
3 replies on “Donald Bowen’s Passing”
Came here after my 94 old mother told me her high school sweetheart’s name was Donald Bowen. She told me they attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart school in San Diego. From her description of him I’m sure this is he. Sad to find out he has passed. She told me he wanted to marry her but life had other things in store for both of them. My mother’s name was Peggy Tidwell. Glad to see he had a rich full life.
David, thank you for contributing this valuable, touching story about Donald Bowen’s life. It is a piece of his life’s history we would not know about otherwise.
–David Magallanes/Webmaster, for Carmen Guerrero/Blogmaster
Hi David, I’m pretty sure it’s the same Donald Bowen. He grew up in San Diego and his grandmother sent him to Sacred Heart. One of the things he learned there was that there was a list of books that good Catholics weren’t supposed to read…so of course he went to the public library and started reading them all! That’s just the way he was; his cousin nicknamed him “Stoppie” because he was told so frequently by his caretakers to stop doing something.