LYONS — On Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, Jack Lee Bowman, loving father, grandfather, coach and friend, passed away peacefully at his home to be with his Lord. He was 89 years old.

Jack Lee Bowman was born on July 28, 1934, in Great Bend, Kan. to Reta (Harper) and Eugene Bowman. Jack graduated from Pawnee Rock High School in 1952 and began his athletic career at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan. where he competed in four sports and received his BA degree in 1956. In 1968, Jack earned his MS from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. In 1988, he received his Administrative Certification from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan. 

Jack served as a high school teacher with various coaching positions in Burdett, Plains, Riley County, Ellinwood, and Great Bend until he retired in 2000. Within that time, he taught and coached at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. from 1969-1976. Following this tenure, Jack ran a sporting goods store for seven years before returning to Great Bend High School to finish his career. During his tenure as a coach in five high schools, he served as a head football, basketball, track and field, and cross country coach. His awards for coaching span all levels: 10 Coach of the Year awards, inducted into four Hall of Fame chapters (Bethany College Athletic Hall of Honor 1995, National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame 2007, Barton County Community College Hall of Fame 2008, and Great Bend High School Hall of Fame Class of 2009) In 30 years of coaching high school track and field and cross country, 415 of his athletes represented their schools in state meets, 64 of his former athletes went on to compete at the NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA I and II level.

While at Bethany College, he married Lylas Berggren and they had four children. They later divorced. Jack then married Nova Frick in August of 1980. Jack Bowman was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ellinwood where he served on the Endowment Board. He was also a member of the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, Former Kansas Coaches Association as an officer. He loved hunting with Nova, his friends, children, and grandchildren, fishing, sporting clays competitions, watching his grandchildren’s sports and keeping in touch with his former student/athletes. He loved caring for stray cats in Ellinwood where he lived for 65 years.

Jack is survived by his children, Lonnie (Janet) Bowman of Basehor, Kan., Jackie (Bill) Cook of Great Bend, Kan., Jill Bowman (Jacob Nicks) of El Dorado, Kan., and Teresa (Rob) Long of Great Bend, Kan.; Nova’s children, Mark (Gail) Frick of Amarillo, Texas, Debra Knight, Jim (Stephanie) Frick and Michael Frick all of Borger, Texas; his surviving sister, Loretta (Phil) White of Bella Vista, Ark. He is very special to his nine grandchildren Ryan (Ashley) Alefs, Shelly (Jason) Duvall, Cody (Kristi) Engle, Jeremy Long, Trey Schartz all of Great Bend, Kan., Robyn (Damian) Knop of Ellinwood, Kan., Chad (Jana) Bowman of Lenexa, Kan., Kara (Heath) Alexander of Manhattan, Kan., and Tonya (Matt) Martinez of Goddard, Kan. He has eight step-grandchildren, Christy Rodriguez, Leticia Keener, Jack Knight, Ron Frick, Dinah Hodges, Steven Frick, Jamie Grant, and Dustin Gray all of Texas; 35 great grandchildren and a niece and two nephews. Jack was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nova, and his parents.

Funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, at the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ellinwood, Kan., with a reception to follow. Private family burial will be at the Pawnee Rock Cemetery, Pawnee Rock, Kan. Memorials may be given to the St. John’s Lutheran Church or Rivers Edge Archery both of Ellinwood, in care of Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons. 

Funeral arrangements provided by

Birzer Funeral Homes

214 West Ave. South

Lyons, KS  67554

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Jan. 20, 2024