Beverly Jean Milgram Bowles

Beverly Jean Milgram Bowles, 80, of Mercer Island, passed on to her next adventure on August 13, 2010, in the loving presence of her family. She was highly regarded and admired by everyone that ever had the good fortune to know her.Beverly was born on March 1, 1930 in Wichita, Kansas to Marie and Leonard Milgram. She shared her early years in Kansas City with her only sibling, sister Jacquelyn Milgram Clark. Beverly’s high school years were spent at Principia Upper School in St. Louis, Missouri. She went on to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she graduated with a degree in music composition. Beverly was the beloved wife of Thomas J. Bowles, originally of Chicago, Illinois. Beverly and Tom recently celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary together. Music was Beverly’s gift and favorite pastime. When Beverly was 5 years old, her musical talents emerged and her parents bought her a Steinway piano which she kept as her “most cherished life-long companion.” She was trained as a classical pianist and she shared this passion with hundreds of students over the past 40 years as she taught them to play piano in her Mercer Island home. Beverly found great joy in teaching. Her desire was always to nurture her students’ talents while helping them to share her love of music. She even composed special individualized songs for her students to play. Beverly was a tremendously creative woman of many talents. She was an outstanding cook, who regularly participated in, and once took first place, in the Mercer Island Reporter recipe contest. She wrote poetry, oil painted, and loved to garden. Sailing was another passion that she shared with Tom. They enjoyed cruising Puget Sound on their sailboat, “Windrush”, which was named for a river in England which they visited on one of their many trips abroad.Beverly was a member of the Women’s University Club where she enjoyed many friendships with fellow members. She performed concerts featuring her original musical compositions and accompanied the choir. She was also a member of the Mercer Island Beach Club, its women’s tennis league and The Washington State Music Teachers Association. Beverly was a devoted and loving wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother. She is survived by her husband, Tom, daughter, Debbie Smith, son, Jim and his wife Jill Appel Bowles, and four grandchildren, Sheena Smith, Stephanie Smith Schoenberger and husband Brandon Schoenberger, Christopher Bowles (C.J.) and Michael Bowles. Beverly truly loved people and was a wonderful conversationalist and hostess. She had a gift for making everyone feel special when they were in her presence. Beverly appreciated harmony in music and in life; she put a song in the heart of everyone whose life she touched. The family is planning a private memorial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, 200 University Street, Seattle, WA 98101 or Virginia Mason Cancer Institute 1100 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101.