On April 6, 1944, Judith Ann Bowman was born in Covington, Kentucky while her father was away fighting in WWII. She was the third child, and second daughter, of Bill and Kate Bowman, and everyone called her Judy.

She spent her younger years in Covington, KY until her family moved to Goodridge Drive in Florence, KY when she was 12 years old. She attended St. Henry Hight School and graduated in 1962.

Her first job was a secretary at a business in Cincinnati where she typed on a manual typewriter (I can’t even imagine) and learned valuable bookkeeping skills that would later serve her well when she and her husband, my dad, successfully ran Connley Heating & Air Conditioning.

Mom met my Dad when her family moved to Goodridge Drive. They were acquaintances throughout their childhood as they lived on the same street, however, it wasn’t until after he came home from the Air Force that they fell in love and married on March 18, 1967. She had three children with my Dad: Christine (me), Jill, and David. She was a fabulous cook, a sweet and mild-natured lady, and she was my mom.

Bless her heart having to deal with the strong-willed child that I was. I remember painting ceramics with her. I still have a few pieces she painted many years ago. I remember her canning vegetables from our garden, playing board games with us, and swimming at the YMCA with me and my sister. She came to every single one of my softball games and all the games where I was a cheerleader.

Mom spent her twilight years in assisted living where she battled dementia, but her light still shined on everyone she met, always with a smile and always making friends easily. She maintained a sweet disposition through dementia, through falls that broke her back, then her hip, and ultimately lead her home to be with the Lord.

My mother died just before the summer solstice on June 19, 2024 at the age of 80.

Who else remembers mom?