Obituary for Temple Ford "Tom" Bowley
Temple Ford “Tom” Bowley, 90, of Dallas, Texas, departed this life on July 23, 2019. Tom was born in Austwell, Texas on August 2, 1928 to Mattie Agnes Hill Bowley and Chesley Ford Bowley.
Tom enjoyed a long career in the telecommunications field spending 37 years with Western Electric, primarily as a Dallas Orbit Supervisor. After retiring from Western Electric, he served 10 years in a consulting role with Fujitsu, a leading Japanese information and communication technology company. As a young man, he was an investor in several Dallas area night clubs and later “moonlighted” as a doorman for Jack Ruby for a few years in the 1950s.
Mr. Bowley had a brush with history on November 22, 1963, that he seldom discussed, which led to his being recognized by the Dallas Police Department with its Citizens Certificate of Merit in November, 2010, for his role in the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald following the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the subsequent murder of Dallas Police officer J.D. Tippitt. Tom and his daughter, Kathryn, happened early on the scene of the Tippitt shooting and his instinctive radio call from Tippitt’s cruiser to Dallas Police headquarters prompted a quick response by many policemen to the Oak Cliff area and the arrest of Oswald in the nearby Texas Theatre. He was reluctant to talk about his actions of that day due in some measure to his prior relationship with the individual who subsequently killed Oswald, Jack Ruby, and in large part due to his unassuming demeanor.
Tom was predeceased by his parents, his sister Billie Bowley Couch, his daughter Tommie Bowley Palmer, and three wives, Bonnie Roberts Bowley, Joye Castleberry Bowley, and Patsy Cloud Bowley. He is survived by his daughters Bonnie Bowley Hardy and her husband Wayne of Irving, Texas, Kathryn Bowley Miles and her husband Joe of Mountain Home, Arkansas, and Terri Bowley McKinney of Dallas, Texas, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his brother James Clay Bowley of Portland, Oregon.
A private remembrance service will be held in Rockport, Texas. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or to a charity of choice.
Tom enjoyed a long career in the telecommunications field spending 37 years with Western Electric, primarily as a Dallas Orbit Supervisor. After retiring from Western Electric, he served 10 years in a consulting role with Fujitsu, a leading Japanese information and communication technology company. As a young man, he was an investor in several Dallas area night clubs and later “moonlighted” as a doorman for Jack Ruby for a few years in the 1950s.
Mr. Bowley had a brush with history on November 22, 1963, that he seldom discussed, which led to his being recognized by the Dallas Police Department with its Citizens Certificate of Merit in November, 2010, for his role in the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald following the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the subsequent murder of Dallas Police officer J.D. Tippitt. Tom and his daughter, Kathryn, happened early on the scene of the Tippitt shooting and his instinctive radio call from Tippitt’s cruiser to Dallas Police headquarters prompted a quick response by many policemen to the Oak Cliff area and the arrest of Oswald in the nearby Texas Theatre. He was reluctant to talk about his actions of that day due in some measure to his prior relationship with the individual who subsequently killed Oswald, Jack Ruby, and in large part due to his unassuming demeanor.
Tom was predeceased by his parents, his sister Billie Bowley Couch, his daughter Tommie Bowley Palmer, and three wives, Bonnie Roberts Bowley, Joye Castleberry Bowley, and Patsy Cloud Bowley. He is survived by his daughters Bonnie Bowley Hardy and her husband Wayne of Irving, Texas, Kathryn Bowley Miles and her husband Joe of Mountain Home, Arkansas, and Terri Bowley McKinney of Dallas, Texas, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and his brother James Clay Bowley of Portland, Oregon.
A private remembrance service will be held in Rockport, Texas. Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or to a charity of choice.