Dennis Ray Bowden Obituary

Dennis Ray Bowden attended Central High School in Cape Girardeau, MO. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Dennis Ray Bowden.

Graduation Year	Class of 1966
Date of Passing	Dec 10, 2010
About	Dennis Ray Bowden January 21, 1948 - December 10, 2010 Dennis grew up in Southeast Missouri and attended Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. He graduated in 1970 with a B.S. in Business Administration and then enlisted in the United States Air Force. After a short stint as a computer operator he became a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. While assigned to San Antonio, Texas, he explored the possibility of going to law school, however decided to obtain his M.A. through Webster University in 1978. After serving eight years on active duty he left the Air Force and accepted employment with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service as a Postal Inspector in Kansas City and Chicago. In 1989 Dennis returned to Kansas City to continue his work. After 25 years plus of criminal investigations, Dennis retired from the Postal Inspection Service on July 30, 1999. He looked into UMKC School of Law as he found it was home to many nontraditional students. Encouraged by his wife, Madelyn, law school staff, co-workers and family, Dennis took the LSAT. In 1999 he was accepted into the UMKC School of Law. Dennis found law school to be a wonderful challenge and his full-time job…one of the best he ever had, until he was called “PaPa”. He graduated in the top 2% of his class in 2002. In the Summer of 2001 Dennis worked as Law Clerk for Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman and as a Public Defender after graduation. Dennis’ interest in fine writing instruments goes back many years and as a result Dennis and Madelyn founded Parkville Pen. Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Helen Hinkle Bowden. Survivors include his wife of 18 years, Madelyn Hendrix Bowden, of the home; his sisters, June Rehn, Frederick Town, MO, Kay Eisenmann, Forked River, NJ; his daughter, Denise Bowden of Lexington, KY; stepchildren, Lana Jamison and husband, Jermaine, Lenexa, KS, Tracy Pierson and husband, Karl, Kansas City, MO, and Kelly Wilson, Kansas City, MO; Grandchildren, Jermy, Shaleia and Blake Jamison and Ava Marie and Olivia Madelyn Pierson. The pallbearers will be Jerald Elrod, Jermaine Jamison, Dale Lickteig, Karl Pierson, Chris Sipes, John Wilson and Ronald Wilson. A funeral service celebrating Dennis’ life will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 14, at the Meyers Funeral Chapel Northland in Parkville. Burial will follow at Resurrection North Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. prior to the service. Memorial contributions are suggested to the InnocenceProject.org or the American Cancer Society, as Dennis was a cancer survivor. Memories of Dennis and condolences may be left with the family at www.meyersfuneralchapel.com. Published in Kansas City Star on December 12, 2010