JERRY LEE BOWDER

GORHAM – Dr. Jerry Lee Bowder passed away Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at his home in Gorham after a year long battle with lung cancer. He was born July 7, 1928, in Portland, Ore., the son of Milton Lee Bowder and Anna Therese Gebhardt Bowder. A graduate of Gresham, Oregon High School 1946, he earned a bachelor of arts in music composition from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1952, a master of music in composition from Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Ore. in 1956 and a Ph.D. in composition from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. in 1960, where he studied with Howard Hanson, Alan Hovhanness, George McKay, Robert Stoltze and Bernard Rogers. He was a veteran of the Korean War, holding the rank of Lt. J.G., serving on the ammunition ship U.S.S. Paricutin, stationed off Sasebo Harbor, Japan. Dr. Bowder, professor emeritus of music at the University of Southern Maine, came to Gorham in 1960 and by the time of his retirement, had been chair of the Music Department at USM. His former theory and composition students will remember him as a “tough but just” teacher, and many of his students have gone on to earn Masters and Ph.D.s in Music and have held teaching positions both in Maine and throughout the U.S. In the 1960’s Dr. Bowder also conducted the (USM) Concert Band and created the Gorham Chamber Orchestra (now the Southern Maine Symphony). Active as a composer for more than 40 years, Dr. Bowder’s compositions include four symphonies, a string quartet and numerous other works, including chamber music, songs, choral arrangements of Christmas carols and works for concert band, brass ensemble, chorus and orchestra. Dr. Bowder was appointed the Maine Bicentennial Composer in 1976, for which he wrote Celebration Music 1976 for the Portland and Bangor Symphony orchestras, and The Wild Colonial Boy for band and chorus, commissioned by the Bath Community Band and Chorus, directed by Larry Douglas. Dr. Bowder received many other commissions and awards, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 1972 for his String Quartet No. 1. Performances of his major works have been given by the Eastman-Rochester Philharmonic, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra, the Lewis and Clark Orchestra, the Manhattan Orchestra, the New England Music Camp Orchestra, the Pierre Monteaux Domaine Orchestra, the Gorham Chamber Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Champaigne-Urbana Symphony. The Portland String Quartet has performed his String Quartet throughout the United States, Central and South America, and in 1975 presented this work at the American Music Festival of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Quartet No. 1 was one of only seven works to receive critical acclaim from among the 41 works presented in the concert series. Dr. Bowder’s music is published by Accura Music of Athens, Ohio, and Manduca Music Publications of Portland, Maine. Dr. Bowder was married in 1964 to Naydene Timberlake of Portland, they had two children, Gretchen Bowder of Melrose, Mass. and Hans Bowder of Gorham. Jerry was an expert woodworker who restored old furniture and built original pieces, including two harpsichords, an armoire fashioned from 18th century paneling, and many smaller pieces for his home. In 1983, he married Libbie Perry of Brewer, and during their 22 year marriage, they worked together to develop the Music Department at USM; traveled extensively throughout the United States; and spent much time at their camp at Park’s Pond, Clifton. After retiring from USM, Jerry and Libbie continued to travel and spend time at camp, where they enjoyed visits from family and friends. In addition to his wife, Libbie; and his children, he is survived by grandchildren, Gus and Georgia Bowder-Newton, and Charlotte Bowder; daughter-in-law, Ruby Spicer of Gorham; brother-in-law, Robert Mikkelson and his wife, Gail, of Wilsonville, Ore.; brother-in-law, Jay Perry and his wife, Ruth Williams Perry, of Clifton; mother-in-law, Pauline C. Perry of Brewer; niece, Judie Read and her husband, Robert, of Boiling Springs, Pa. He is also survived by nephews, Kerry Kimball, Tucker Kimball, Scott Foster, Christian Foster, Brandon Foster and Raymond J. Perry, several great-nieces and great-nephews. In addition, he is survived by cousins, Stan Prager of Vancouver, Wash., Frances Vallier, Bernice Waddle, Marian Fuller, Val Rickert, Janet Harpole, Corrine King and Maryella Bowder Tierney, all of Oregon. He also wished to mention his dear friends, Donald and Betty Balmer and their family, also of Oregon. A visiting hour will be held 3-4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, at the Dolby & Dorr Funeral Chapel, 76 State St., Gorham. A memorial service will follow at 4 p.m. at the Chapel In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Jerry Bowder Music Scholarship, University of Southern Maine School of music, 37 College Avenue, Gorham, Maine 04038, or to the Casco Bay Concert Band, P.O. Box 10031, Portland, Maine 04104.