Charles H. Bowen Jr.

Charles H. Bowen, Jr, affectionately known to his family and closest friends as Charlie, Curly, or Uncle Curly, was born on June 23, 1934, to Charles H. Bowen, Sr., and Alta Bowen in Livingston, Montana.  Charles lived most of his early years in Prosser, WA. At a young age, he enlisted in the U.S. National Guard and served from 1949 to 1951. He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp. and served from 1951 to 1954.  In 1954, he returned to Prosser, WA, and finished high school, graduating with the class of 1954.  In 1956, Charles married the love of his life, Joanne McKinney of Grandview, WA. In 1956, he also enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he found his true calling and remained until his retirement in 1979 as a Command Master Chief.  During his time in the Coast Guard, he and Joanne traveled and lived in various parts of the world. They especially enjoyed and spoke often of their time in Puerto Rico and Honolulu, HI.  Following his retirement from the Coast Guard, Charles found his next calling when he began another service career with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 1979, retiring in 1999.  During this time, he spent many years in Blaine, WA, protecting the WA/Canadian Border, also as part of U.S. Customs Inspections and Enforcement at SeaTac Airport and on the shipping ports in Seattle. Charles was a hardworking man who enjoyed landscaping and working on various projects around their beautiful home. He and Joanne loved to travel and enjoyed snow skiing and vacationing, especially at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. In 2018, he and Joanne moved to Kennewick, WA, to be closer to family. Charles was a kind, compassionate, generous, and natural caregiver, taking wonderful care of Joanne and helping his special nieces and nephews with a multitude of projects and good advice.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Sr., and Alta Bowen, his sisters, Alice Bentley and Kathryn Mehrer, and brothers, George Bowen, Bill Bowan, and brothers-in-law Billy McKinney, James Donald McKinney, and special nephew Rob McKinney.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Joanne (McKinney) Bowen of Kennewick, sisters-in-law, Patsy and Ray Merriman of Kennewick, Paulette McKinney-Harris of Grandview, and Carol McKinney of Kalama. Charles is also survived by nephews and nieces, George Bowen, Willie Bowen, Fred Bowen, Kim Bowen, Phillip Bowen, Russel Bowen, Connie Fenn, Sharon Davis, Chariene Sheridan, Jeanne Keating, Pattie Demartinis, Marylin Waupoose, Colleen Knapp, Dacia Harrison, Shari Jo Merriman, Molly Schutt, Scott McKinney, Steven McKinney, Kurt McKinney, Kimberly Ruffe, and Dawn McKinney as well as many great nephews and nieces.

A Graveside Service with Military Honors will be held December 11, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens in Sunnyside, WA. Those wishing to sign Charles’ online memorial book may do so at www.funeralhomesmith.com Smith Funeral Home is in care of arrangements.

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