Wayne Bowley ... flew rescue for Civil Air Patrol

MILTON MILLS - Wayne Harvey Bowley, 78, of Milton Mills, New Hampshire, died Saturday, June 21, 2014,  after a determined struggle with lung cancer. A leap-year baby, Wayne was born February 29, 1936, to Ralph and Lydian (Coolidge) Bowley. He graduated from Nute High School in Milton, in 1954. He worked at Greene Tanning in Milton Mills while attending classes at UNH. He became a draftsman, working at Sanders in Nashua, and later at General Electric of Somersworth. After retiring from Avionic Instruments as a printed circuit designer in 2004, Wayne enjoyed tending his small farm, caring for his wife, repairing antique pocket watches, and attending auctions.

As a teenager, Wayne took flying lessons, going on to be a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol, N.H. Wing, flying search and rescue missions for over a decade.

Predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Barbara (Mattress Lavalley) Bowley, surviving family members include two brothers, Ralph Bowley and his wife, Pauline, of Somersworth, and William Bowley of Fort Worth, TX; a sister-in-law, Rose McNeilly and her husband, Robert, of Manchester, Conn.; three daughters and two sons, Brenda Lessard and her husband Norman, of Milton Mills; Pamela Trefethen and her husband Bruce, of Barrington; LTC (ret) Leonard Wayne Bowley and his wife, Cheryl, of Newton, Ala.; Sharon Buttrick and her husband Lt. Col. David Buttrick, stationed in S. Korea; and Michael Bowley and his fiance Susie Botelho, of Alton. Wayne's fifteen grandchildren include April Brunson, Nicole Toy, Tinker Toy, Bobbi Marie LaChance, Lydia Groen, Barbara Lapointe, Valerie Plummer, Alexandra Trefethen, Kristin Bowley, Justin Bowley, Marilyn May Nowalk, Janna Buttrick, Adam Buttrick, Esther Buttrick and SSgt. Robert Bowley.

Wayne's fifteen great-grandchildren include Mikayla Toy-Tozier, Cade and Cassidy Brunson; Aurora, Lavender, Rosemary, Cameron and Thomas Goodwin; Jack and Matthew Groen; Abraham, Samantha and Marian Lapointe; Lucas Plummer; Logan Nowalk.