Obituary of Charles C. Bower

Charles C. "Skip" Bower, 86, lifelong resident of Bloomville, having recently resided at the Hampshire House, Oneonta, passed away on Monday morning, March 21, 2016 at AO Fox Nursing Home. Born on September 12, 1929 in Ellenville, he was the son of the late Charles W. and Rose (Dewitt) Bower. Following his graduation from South Kortright Central School, Skip enlisted in the US Army, serving during both WWII and Korea, he then served in the US Air Force Reserves, attaining the rank of Staff Sargent before being honorably discharged. He was married to Downey Laing Bower, she passed away in 1994. Skip was heavy equipment operator with a specialty in Grader Operation, working with the Operating Engineers Union Local #158 of Syracuse for several years. From a young age, Skip was a natural mechanic, apprenticing at the young age of 12. He had a fondness of owning and repairing Fords. He was known for his ability to find a good bargain, especially while grocery shopping and later while he was visiting area garage sales. He was a civic and community minded person, he was a member of the Bloomville Fire Dept. and Skip had a daily route of looking into the welfare of family and friends, always bringing the daily newspaper and supplying seasonal fruit. Besides his parents and wife Downey, Skip was predeceased one brother: Karl Bower. He is survived by his children: Ann Bower of Grand Rapids, MI, Alice Bower of Fayetteville, Patricia Bower of Delhi, Steven (Marguerite Uhlmann-Bower) Bower of East Meredith and Mitzi Sackett of Bloomville; grandchildren: Aissa, Avery, Derick, Walter, Sophia, Karson, John, Tara, Sean, Nathan, Serena and LeAnne; great-grandchildren: Hayden, Noe and Silas; sister: Jeannine Bower of Glenmont; brothers: Daniel (JoAnn) Bower of Bloomville and Michael (Margaret) Bower of Coxsackie; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and his lifelong close friend: Ike Cornell. Friends and relatives are invited to call on the family from 4-7PM on Thursday, March 24, 2015 at MacArthur Funeral Home, 131 Main Street, Delhi, where a funeral service will be held at 1PM on Friday. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Bloomville. Memorial contributions may be made to Bloomville Fire Dept., PO Box 756, Bloomville, NY 13739