Roy Lee Bowington boarded his final flight January 12, 2025 after 95 years well lived.

Roy was born in New York on 10/3/1929 to movie projectionist, Homer F. Bowington, and actress, Helen Cannes.  Soon thereafter, his family moved to El Paso, Texas, where he grew up.  While attending Austin High School, Roy met his wife of 52 years, Becky Cleo Yates.  They had two children, Susan and Terry.

At 16, Roy began Reserve Officer Training (ROTC), enlisting in the United States Air Force at 19. He proudly served our country for 20 years, retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant in the Flight Crew Training Center at McChord AFB.

Roy and Becky spent the next three years living in Iran, where he served as a part of Boeing's Accident Investigation Team and head of their 747 Flight Simulator Program. He was a part of a crew tasked with training foreign pilots after their governments purchased Boeing aircraft. He and Becky traveled extensively while overseas. They left Iran just before the fall of the Shah. After returning to Tacoma, Roy retired a second time.

Roy was a generous man who loved to laugh. An avid golfer, Roy had 3 holes in one. In his later years, he developed a passion for Bridge, playing 4 times a week. He was the epitome of everything we love about Our Greatest Generation.

Roy is preceded by his wife, Becky. He is survived by his son, Terry Bowington; daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Frederick Wilson; grandchildren, Shawna McKenzie, Shad DeSilva, and Dustin DeSilva; and great-grandchildren, Micah, Reese, Hallie, and Adrian DeSilva.

The family will gather on January 24th to celebrate his life, following his internment at New Tacoma Cemetery.