CROSS PLAINS - Robert Edward “Bob” Bowman, 94, died peacefully Nov. 21, 2022, at his home in Cross Plains, Wis. Born Feb. 18, 1928, in Clinton, Ill., he was the oldest child of Jacob and Mattie (Coffman) Bowman. He grew up in Illinois and briefly attended the University of Illinois before his love for a northern girl drew him to Wisconsin, where he spent the rest of his life. He married Grace Elaine Dixon on Oct. 27, 1950, in La Crosse, Wis.

The couple spent their honeymoon touring college campuses, selecting the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1954, Bob graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in chemistry, then went on to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from UW-Madison in 1958. He spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah before returning to UW-Madison, where he enjoyed a 33-year career as a research scientist and teacher, retiring in 1992 as a professor emeritus. He worked at the Harlow Primate Lab, studying the effect of environmental toxins such as lead, dioxin, and PCBs on brain function and behavior in rhesus monkeys. During those decades, he authored some 124 papers and book chapters, and mentored dozens of graduate students. He chaired the Psychology Department from 1972 to 1975, and taught classes including physiological psychology and psychochemistry. His introductory statistics course struck fear into the hearts of psychology undergraduates.

Bob had a lifelong love of country living, and in the 1960s, he bought a wooded hillside property west of Madison. There he hand-built a unique ranch-style house centered around an indoor atrium. The house was his hobby and passion project. He and Grace spent every weekend working on it, continuing to make additions even in their eighties. Bob also delighted in yard work, using his skid loader to construct elaborate rock walls with artistically fitted stones. He hosted garden parties for grad students and friends in the summer, lively events filled with volleyball, badminton, and cookouts.

An intellectual with wide-ranging interests, Bob adored writing and poetry. In his sixties and seventies, he self-published a book of poetry, Bind the Clouds, as well as a series of seven fantasy novels. The first, Daughter of Dreams, drew on his neuroscience background, featuring a little girl with magic powers who becomes trapped in her own mind. Bob was also an avid gamer, hosting regular poker nights and running a decades-long Dungeons & Dragons group. He took his family for yearly skiing vacations in Colorado.

After retirement, he became interested in local politics, winning a seat on the Cross Plains Town Board from 1995 to 2008. His passion was property rights, and for 15 years he published a newsletter, Freedom Matters, on the topic. He received the 1998 Liberty Award from the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, and a 2015 award for Distinguished Service to Our Democracy from the Moderate-Conservative Political Movement in Dane County.

Bob was preceded in death by two sisters, Janice Schmid and Beverly Dea; his wife, Grace; and his son, Eric Alan Bowman. He is survived by his sister, Alice Merreighn; children, Juli (Steve) Johnson, Thomas Bowman, and Madolyn (David) Rogers; as well as his grandson, Lucian Rogers.

His earthly remains will rest in Sunset Memory Gardens, Madison. A memorial service is planned for spring 2023. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West

Funeral & Cremation Care

7435 University Ave.

(608) 831-6761

Robert Edward Bowman

February 18, 1928 - November 21, 2022

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