Obituary of Mary Frances Bowles

Mary Frances Bowles passed away on Wednesday March 22, 2023 after a year's battle with cancer. She was born in New Rochelle on April 29th, 1938 to J. Raymond and Elsie McGovern. Mary graduated from The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, and Marymount Junior College in Arlington, VA. with an Associate Degree.

After college she started her business career in New York City with Young and Rubican before moving to San Francisco to work with Skidmore and Merrill Architects, back to New York to Picker Xray who transferred her to London. Shortly thereafter, their headquarters relocated to Germany and which time she stayed in England and took a job with the Society of Inner Temple, on of four Inns of Court. While in England she met and married her husband, John H. Bowles, to whom she was married for almost fifty years. After several years, they moved back to the US where she worked for IBM. After junior college, she had always intended to complete her college degree and graduated from Iona College with a BS Degree in 1979.

In addition to work, Mary spent many volunteer hours including helping out at the Hope Kitchen, knitting for the Pregnancy Care center and the Alter Guild at Holy Family Church. When she retired, she spent time as an officer in the New Rochelle Garden Club and New York State Federation of Garden Clubs. She was a National Garden Club Accredited Judge and an officer of the District and Judges Council.

She is predeceased by her husband John, and survived by two sisters, Barbara Mitchell and Joan McGovern and predeceased by another sister, Betty Foley. She is also survived by seven nieces and nephews with one nephew having predeceased her. She is also survived by twenty grand nieces and nephews. Her family will receive friends on Sunday March 26^th from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the John J. Fox Funeral Home 2080 Boston Post Road Larchmont, NY 10538. Mary was a parishioner of St. Pius X Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for her on Monday March 27 at 10:00 AM. Burial will take place in the family plot at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in New Rochelle after the Mass.