Philip Bowen, instrumental in museum's founding, dies
Posted by Staff Reporter Jo Mathis September 22, 2007 20:28PM


When Cynthia Yao came up with the idea for the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum back in 1978, she knew it would take many hands to make it happen.

The dream would have been hard to pull off, she said, without the help of Phillip Bowen, who volunteered to do all the legal paperwork to set it up, then served on the board and as a museum booster for years.

"He should be a beacon of how any trustee for any organization should act," said Yao, who became the popular museum's executive director. "To me, he embodied what an ideal trustee should be: a person with a very high sense of integrity who really looked out for the organization. He came through when the need was there."

Bowen, 60, died at home Tuesday after a three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Until a couple of years ago, Bowen continued to volunteer regularly with the Interfaith Hospitality Network, which runs a family shelter, and for the Hunger Coalition.

Joe Fitzsimmons was the first museum board president. Bowen was the third.

"Phil was a critical part of the museum in those days," he said. "He was a wonderful guy, and he and Kathe (Bowen's wife) were really committed to this concept of a hands-on museum when there were not a lot of them around."

The Nebraska native and University of Michigan Law School graduate moved back to Ann Arbor in 1974 to begin his 32-year career with the law firm of Conlin, McKenney and Philbrick, P.C.

He served on many boards over the years, including those at Ronald McDonald House, The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Washtenaw Technical Middle College, and Glacier Hills Retirement Community. He was past chairman of the Community Foundation and past president of the Ronald McDonald House.

Yao said Bowen wrote the first Kresge Foundation Grant for the museum. The grant was a major coup, awarded at a pivotal time in the museum's construction. She said Bowen was her mentor, someone she could turn to for help.

Bowen is survived by his wife and their three children.
A memorial service will be Monday at 2 p.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church, 2309 Packard Road, Ann Arbor, where Bowen held several leadership roles.

Contact Jo Mathis at jmathis@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6849 .

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