Michael Cyril Bowdler

CAPE ELIZABETH – Michael Bowdler was one of the few surviving WWII vets in Maine and at almost 96, the embodiment of “The Greatest Generation.” He was born in Penn, England, the third son of Carson and Gladys. Carson worked with the railroad delivering steel. Gladys had worked in a factory. Having built every home they lived in growing up, all three sons became professionals in the building industry.

Mike joined the British Royal Army at the age of 18 and served tours in Germany, Holland and France. In WWII, Mike was wounded by a German bomb blast, which left him deaf in one ear. When the war ended, he saw the spirit of the American GIs celebrating- dancing the jitterbug. This fueled his dream to later immigrate to the U.S.

Mike said that in England at the time of his youth, British society was extremely stratified. The recent PBS series Downton Abbey illustrates the contrast between the wealthy landlords and the working class “scruffs.” After the war, in 1945, the Socialist party had come to power which Mike said enabled a “scruff” like him to be accepted into the School of Architecture.

Mike believed that the future of car body design belonged to the aerodynamic. So, in 1953, he built a car to portray this. The car was beautiful, and sure enough resembled a current convertible sports car.

While working in Wolverhampton, England as a fresh young architect, Mike asked June to marry him. In 1955 they migrated to Ottawa, Canada. He took a job in the Canadian government tripling his English wage. One of his first projects was designing an airport. They also sent him to the northern territories to design developments for the Eskimos to which he was brought in by bush pilots and dog sleds. His designs were so successful that they were used as prototypes for many years thereafter.

Mike and June drove all over Canada and the U.S. exploring. They took a boat from California to New Zealand where they were married. Mike’s dear friend “D” Westwood shipped them Mike’s convertible from England. But, because they had not made reservations, their wedding night was spent in the equivalent of the Salvation Army in separate quarters.

They tried living in Southern California in the ’50s but ended up back in Canada. They had their two children, Mark and Liana in Ottawa. Mike and June further adventured to the U.S. and fell in love with Maine where Mike took an appointment as an architect with John Calvin Stevens in 1966.

Mike soon started his own one-man architecture practice. He turned out projects competing with much larger firms. He landed multiple projects with HUD, Maine Indian Housing and South Portland Housing Authority. He designed elderly housing projects (Landry Village,) restaurants (Merry Manor,) churches and various other commercial buildings throughout Maine.

Mike eventually designed and built a very unique (especially for the area) and beautiful mid-century modern home in Shore Acres, Cape Elizabeth. It was built on a lot adjacent to the WWII army tower and the woods. This became the family home in 1968.

When June and Mike divorced in 1977, Mike eventually re-tried living in San Diego. He soon realized that Maine was truly his home. He moved back and designed and built another home in the same neighborhood as the family home in Cape Elizabeth.

Mike met his second wife, Sheila, in 1994. They courted and married in 2001. Even though they later divorced, they remained dear friends and Sheila was at his side with the whole family when he died.

Mike lived a long and adventurous life. He was an avid skier into his 80s, played tennis, took up golf in his 70s, and was constantly dabbling with his guitar. He remained physically and mentally active his entire life. He walked every morning followed by a vigorous exercise regimen. He read the paper, completed all the puzzles, and often sent political editorial letters and cartoons the Portland Press Herald which were occasionally published.

Mike was predeceased by his two brothers, Derek and Ken; and his ex-wife, June.

He is survived by his two children, Mark Bowdler (Lisa,) of Cape Elizabeth, Liana Bowdler (Steve) of La Jolla, Calif.; Liana’s children Briana Tovey (Monte) of San Diego and Matthew Tovey (Caitlin) of La Jolla, Calif., and their twins. The twins, now 3, are Mike’s great-grandchildren who he fortunately met for the first time this past summer, just months before his death.

Burial service will be held in the spring at Spurwink Church and handled by Hobbs Funeral Home, South Portland.