Donald Booth Bowles

Published 9:58 pm Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Donald Booth Bowles, 84, passed away on December 14, 2015 in Suffolk. For 63 years, he was the husband to Barbara Harrell Bowles and was the son to the late Raymond B. and Mary J. Bowles. Mr. Bowles was predeceased by a son, David B. Bowles.

Born in Petersburg, Donald served with the United States Marine Corps. He worked for Portsmouth Gas/Columbia Gas and retired after 33 years. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. He was a charter member and past president of Bennett’s Creek Ruritan Club and was a member of the Masonic Portsmouth Lodge. Mr. Bowles was a past chief of the Driver Volunteer Fire Department and a charter member of the Bennett’s Creek Rescue Squad, a former assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 16 and an Explorer Advisor for Post 16 in Driver. Mr. Bowles was also a 10 gallon blood donor for the American Red Cross.

Mr. Bowles loved spending time with his wife and two sons. He was an avid fisherman and loved camping and water skiing.

Besides his wife of 63 years, Mr. Bowles leaves behind his son, D. Bruce Bowles and wife, Rhonda, of Suffolk; grandchildren, David Kevin Bowles, Kaitlin Little, Larissa Spiker; and great-grandchildren, Matthew and Andrew Spiker, Brendan Bankston, Dylan and Nathan Bowles and Robert J. Little VI.

A Requiem Eucharist service will be conducted on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, at 1 p.m. by Father J. Derek Harbin at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 424 Washington St., Portsmouth, VA 23704, with a 3 p.m. burial at Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Baker-Foster Funeral Home, 5685 Lee Farm Lane, Suffolk, on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, from 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to a memorial of one’s choice. Condolences may be registered at www.bakerfoster.com.