“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever…” -Psalm 23:6
William “Bill” Sloan Bowling, 87, of Virginia Beach, VA passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 7, 2024, surrounded by his immediate family. He went from the land of the dying to the land of the living to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Born to Walter Lee Bowling and Ilene Sloan Bowling on January 16, 1936 on a small farm in Broadway, NC, he was the middle son of three boys and enjoyed hunting and fishing when he wasn’t helping out on the farm.
After graduating from Broadway High School, he enlisted in the Army in 1954, and was trained as a paratrooper. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, KY and Okinawa, Japan in the 82nd Airborne and 101st “Screaming Eagles” Airborne divisions. Later, he served as a reservist for five years.
He went to Chowan College and Atlantic Christian College, where he earned his B.S. in Business. After a short stint in the business world, he served as a social worker in Dunn, NC. In 1966, Bill moved to Virginia Beach to take a job teaching 6th grade at Aragona Elementary. It was there that he met his loving and faithful wife of 56 years, Patricia Green Bowling. After dating for six months, they married at First Presbyterian Church of Virginia Beach, VA on June 18, 1967.
Bill and Pat were blessed with two sons, Michael Lee Bowling of Virginia Beach and Adam Christopher Bowling of Montclair, VA. Bill taught middle school math at Virginia Beach Junior High, Lynnhaven Middle, and Great Neck Middle. He enjoyed gardening, hunting, fishing, country gospel music, and helping coach his son’s sports teams. He loved to socialize, dance, and share the bounty from his garden with others.
Bill also had a passion for helping the unhoused and people in need. He participated in multiple mission trips, including one to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, sponsored by his home church, King’s Grant Presbyterian. At church, he served as an Elder and an usher and was a faithful member of the Wednesday prayer breakfast. Bill also enjoyed having lunch with other veterans every Thursday. He went on the Tidewater Emmaus Walk #50 in 2000, and loved passing out hot chocolate and cookies at the Bethlehem Walk event. Bill never met a stranger.
He was preceded to heaven by his parents and his brother, Edward Lee Bowling. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Green Bowling, and his brother, James Willis Bowling of Sanford, NC. He is also survived by his two sons: Michael Lee Bowling and his fiance, Lauren Zinner, of Virginia Beach and Adam Christopher Bowling and his wife, Erin Kerby Bowling, of Montclair, VA. Bill was a loving grandfather to his five grandchildren: Michael Bradley Escalante, Parker Sloan Bowling, Eleanor Grace Bowling, Lily Paige Bowling, and Kerby Elizabeth Bowling.
A service of Witness to the Resurrection and Thanksgiving for the Life of William Sloan Bowling will be held at King’s Grant Presbyterian Church, 745 Little Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 2:00 PM, with a reception following in the church fellowship hall. The service will also be live streamed on King’s Grant Presbyterian’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@kingsgrant1323) for those who can’t attend in person. There will be a private family inurnment with military honors prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to King’s Grant Presbyterian Church (https://kgpc.org/give/), or PiN “People in Need” (https://pinministry.org/) in memory of Bill