Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Walter "Bill" Rawls Bowers, age 66, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and patron passed away due to complications from IPF on Tuesday, August 9th, 2016 at 7:45 p.m.  Having been diagnosed with the disease just six months prior, he fought with a stoic sense of drive.

Bill is survived by his wife Brenda Burdick Bowers of Yorktown, Virginia; daughter Colleen Bowers Whitney and son-in-law Craig Whitney of Hampton, Virginia; daughter Kathryn Bowers Brown of Chesapeake, Virginia; grandchildren Mikaila Whitney and Austin Whitney of Hampton, Virginia as well as Gavan Brown of Chesapeake, Virginia; and siblings Nancy "Prissy" Duderstadt of Chicago, Illinois and Judy Bowers of Cincinnati, Ohio; as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews across the country.

Bill was born August 17, 1949 in Fort Meade, Maryland to Frame John Bowers and Nancy June Rawls.  An Army brat, he moved all over following his military family including Canada before settling in Texas as a high schooler.  His love for the Army life would never waiver as he chose to spend 27 years himself as an active duty Army serviceman.  After enlisting in the Army to serve a 1 year tour with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam where he earned the Purple Heart, Bill returned to Texas where he completed college at Texas A&I (now Texas A&M) University-Kingsville and officer training school.  Bill then spent his next 23 years serving active duty while living all over the county and world including two active duty tours in Germany with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-Blackhorse.  Bill retired from the Army in 1994 after having received numerous recognitions and accommodations including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal Ribbon, Army Commendation Medal Ribbon with one oak leaf cluster, Vietnam service Medal with three service stars, Combat Infantryman Badge, and an Aircraft Crewman Badge.

Bill continued his love of the military and their efforts by working as a program manager for the next 22 years in support of Military Warfare and Simulation.  While here, Bill kept a very clear and prioritized mindset when it came to workplace goals: 1. Accomplish the mission; 2. Take care of the people; and 3. Bottom-line business.  It was his loyalty to his people - to his "troops" - that made him well respected by his peers. Bill was set to retire in August 2016.

A family man, Bill and Brenda would have been married 46 years this October.  He enjoyed spending time in the blue ridge mountains, watching his grandchildren play sports, tinkering with everything, American muscle cars, and driving his custom American Flag painted Jeep.  A soldier, patriot, loving husband, caring father, and loyal friend, a stoic soldier, a patron, a stubborn man, loving husband, caring fathera stoic soldier, a patron, a stubborn man, loving husband, caring fathera stoic soldier, a patron, a stubborn man, loving husband, caring father he will be sorely missed by all that knew him.

Bill's family will hold a Memorial Service Saturday, September 17th at 1:30 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 250 Fox Hill Road, Hampton, VA to be followed by a formal military funeral in April 2017 at the Fort Sam Houston National Military Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation ( www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org ) or to the Wounded Warrior Project ( www.woundedwarriorproject.org ).