Marypat Bowen

Marypat Bowen passed away peacefully at home in Brunswick, Maine on July 28, 2020, surrounded by those who loved her most. She was an incredible mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter, and friend. She lit up a room with her radiant smile. She loved fiercely -- you always felt warm and completely protected by her selfless love. Her family was her life and she would do anything for them. Marypat had a creative spirit, enjoying such pursuits as gardening (she was a certified Master Gardener), quilting, knitting, and painting. She cared deeply about the environment and wanted to make the world a better and cleaner place. She loved living by the ocean and always said she would have been a marine biologist in another life. Proud of her Irish heritage, Marypat traveled often to Ireland to visit her relatives in County Mayo. As a teacher, she made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many children and their families throughout her almost 40 years of teaching. She believed that all children should be able to realize their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. One of her favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt represents her best: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Born in Syracuse, NY, Marypat was the daughter of Eugene and Rita Walker. She graduated from St. Patrick's High School in 1970 and earned her Bachelor of Arts from LeMoyne College in 1974. She earned her Master's of Counseling Psychology from Boston College. By the end of her career in 2014, her coursework was the equivalent of a doctoral degree. After graduating from BC in 1976, she lived in Cambridge, MA, and worked for New England Medical Center as a court advocate and later taught at a number of educational institutions in Boston. In 1983, she married Tom Bowen and moved back to Syracuse. She taught in the Auburn, NY school system before staying home to raise her only daughter, Emily, who was born in 1984. It was always Marypat's dream to live in Maine when her family moved to the state in 1993 where she returned to teaching as a special education teacher in the Bremen Schools and then as a fifth grade teacher for the Pownal Schools. She taught second, third, and fifth grades in the Yarmouth School District from 1997 to 2014, when she retired. Marypat is survived by her husband, Tom; her daughter, Emily; her son-in-law, Michael; her grandson, Henry; her sisters, Terri, Rita, Colleen, and Sheila; her brothers, Gene and Dan; as well as many nieces and nephews and cousins and friends whose lives were made better by knowing her and being loved by her. Marypat is predeceased by her brother, Michael, and her parents, Eugene and Rita. A closed funeral service will be held at St. Patrick's Church in Newcastle, Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to "The Marypat Bowen Memorial Fund" at St. Jude's Children's Hospital by clicking the link below.