30/08/2026
One of Bowls’ greatest qualities is its ability to cater for all ages, shapes and sizes and in meeting the varying aspirations of its participants, from those at the high performance, elite levels down to those in the recreational, roll-up category.
Someone who epitomised the latter group was Bev Bowie, who after battling ill health for the past couple of years passed away on Saturday and who, in the words of board chair Ian Mckenzie, was “a lovely person.”
Like so many, Bev came to bowls late in life, joining at the behest of her friend Sue Noble, in 2018, along with others who have gone on to be excellent club members, Irene Costello, John Whiteford, Margaret Ho**er, Fay Freeman, Pat Chapman and Alison McCrorie.
Most of Bev’s bowls was at roll=up levels and you will not find her name on any of the clubhouse honours boards, even those for trophy events.
But she derived considerable pleasure from playing, for the benefits gained from the gentle physical exercise and especially for the companionship of fellow bowlers. She involved herself in the club’s off-green activities, had a stint as the almoner and was a regular attender at Jenni Taylor’s Monday morning yoga sessions.
Despite her late start, Bev did have a bowls background, her father having been a bowler and greenkeeper at the Onehunga RSA club. She played a variety of other sports, netball, tennis, squash and golf and that perhaps helped her become a more than useful lead.
She and her late husband, John, a builder to whom she was married for 55 years and who died 12 years ago, also had a deep interest in travel, including stints working in Australia and England. And on a campervan trip to the United States they took special delight in visiting the Texas town of Bowie, named not for John but after the inventor of the knife.
After a commercial course at the old Seddon Memorial Technical Bev worked in secretarial roles. Bev was a mother of two, a grand-mother and a great grandmother.
Bev's funeral will be this Wednesday 2 September at 11am at the Milford Cruising Club, 24 Craig Road, Milford, Auckland.
To her family the Takapuna club offers its sincere condolences.
