Suzanne Yvonne Bowman (née) deNevers was born in New York on February 10, 1939. Long-time residents of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the deNevers family moved to Los Angeles in the 1950’s. Suzanne began nursing school at UCLA and completed her studies at UCSF, ultimately obtaining a Master’s Degree in Nursing. She worked as a nurse and a teacher of nursing for 45 years. She passed away on March 4, 2022, after a short battle with dementia.
Suzy experienced many adventures in her lifetime including world travels, quite literally. She was the nurse on the crew of the Voyager team, the airplane that completed the first non-refueled and non-stop flight around the world in 1986. That is the legacy of which she was most proud.
After living in Los Angeles for many years, her late husband Russell Clifford Bowman, Jr., a Hollywood photographer, and their two children relocated to Idyllwild, California. Suzanne remained a long-time resident of Pine Cove until her passing. She was also a member of the Idyllwild Historical Society and her beautiful cabin on Logan Creek Road has the distinction of being listed as one of the historically designated homes of Idyllwild. Suzy loved this mountain and its people.
Suzy was an active supporter of Isomata and volunteered her skills working the nurses’ booth every year at the Idyllwild Jazz Festival. She also very much enjoyed working the many art shows around Southern California, teaming up and helping her long-time love and partner, local artist, David Salk, display and sell his wares at the shows. They made many friends that would become a built-in following, showing up for them every year.
Sue was a free spirit and an eccentric personality. She would make many trips to the dump only to return with a haul of junk that she brought back, after leaving her own. She was a thrift store queen and nothing thrilled her more than the lucky thrift store find. She also had a world-class smile that could light up a room.
Suzy is survived by her two children, Greg Bowman and Pamela Bowman (son and daughter in-law), of Ventura; Lisa and Anthony Madruga (daughter and son-in-law), of Point Loma; three grand-children, Dustin and wife, Laura; Nathan and Annalisa Madruga; one great-grand-child, Savannah; Step-Children, Tundi Schonek of Florida and Jeff Bowman of Arizona, and her brother Maurice deNevers. A memorial service was held at Suzy’s beautiful cabin and her ashes were scattered according to her wishes in the forest of Pine Cove.
