George Nile Bowman, Jr.

Matthew 25:23 - “Well done, good and faithful servant...” 

George Nile Bowman Jr., 94, of Johnson City, TN, devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed from this earth into the arms of his lord, Jesus Christ, early Friday morning, November 29, 2024, on the day of his 67th wedding anniversary at the place he loved the most, his farm in Boones Creek. 

 Nile was a native of Johnson City, TN, a son of the late George Nile Bowman Sr. and Elizabeth Jane Bowman. He lived in Johnson City, TN and Jonesborough, TN before purchasing the Joe Keefauver Farm and enjoyed his lifelong passion of farming and raising cattle for over 45 years. 

 Nile began his storied career as a paperboy for the Johnson City Press Chronicle in 1941. He was even written about due to serving in this capacity for eight years while going to school and helping support his family. He was very proud of being a paper courier for so long and attributed a lot of his success to his time in this capacity. 

 He served in the U.S. Navy doing a tour in the Korean War as a Petty Officer on board the USS Jarvis Destroyer traveling the world. He then obtained a B.S. Degree from East Tennessee State University majoring in Business Administration in 1957. While serving in the Navy, Nile developed a passion for radio electronics and carried that passion into a retail electronics business named Bowman-Howard in 1959. Nile later founded a furniture retail business named Zak’s Furniture in 1969 which is still a staple in the Boones Creek Community for over 55 years. 

 He officially retired from the business world in 2008 so he could focus solely on his true passion of raising cattle and farming. At that time, he turned his business over to his son Scott. Nile spent the remainder of his life enjoying what he loved doing the most, being outdoors in the beauty of his farm enjoying God’s creation with his devoted and loving wife, Billie June Bowman. He focused solely on raising cattle, chickens, growing hay, and just being a farmer. He built a 114-acre farm and lived there until his passing. He loved that farm and everything that it afforded him to do. Being a farmer was one of the happiest times of his life.

 Nile and Billie are active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church and Nile was one of the founders of this church. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Epsilon fraternity, served on the Suntrust Bank Board of Directors, received numerous furniture retail industry awards, and he was a member of the American Angus Cattleman’s Association. 

 Nile always had three top priorities in his life, his family, being a good Christian and supporting his community. He loved his family dearly and their happiness was always his number one concern. He was a simple man who simply enjoyed living life to the fullest, helping others in any way he could, and deeply devoted to Christ. His companionship with his friends is one of the things he cherished the most and greatly enjoyed his time with Alf Taylor, Gil Sahlin, Sam Huddleston, Ed Oehmig, Glenn Hebert, Carl Young, Jack Williams, Tom and Polly Torbett, Jim and Susan Rule, Warren Vest, Billy Joe Russell, Janice Reid, Gary and Jenny Harrell and a host of others. 

 Nile is survived by his wife, Billie June Bowman, daughter Ramona Leigh Grant, son Gregory Scott Bowman and wife Jennifer Vincent Bowman, son Daniel Joseph Bowman, five grandchildren, Brooke Fitchpatrick and husband Ellison, Henry Grant, Rebecca Grant, Hannah Grant, Daniel Bowman and wife Hallie, Grayson Bowman, and three great-grandchildren, Cade Fitchpatrick, Bear Bowman and Cora Bowman. 

 In addition to his parents, Nile was predeceased in death by his brother Stanley Bowman, his two sisters, Christine Thornton and husband Eddie, Dorothy Howard and husband Marvin, and one son, Timothy Bowman. 

 A Celebration of Life event will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 2:00 pm on Monday, December 16, 2024, under the direction of Dr. Andy Wyatt, with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall. A private burial service will take place at Washington County Memory Gardens.

 Memories and condolences may be shared with the Bowman family via www.morrisbaker.com

 Morris-Baker Funeral Home, 2001 E Oakland Ave, Johnson City, is honored to serve the Bowman family. (423) 282-1521