Norman Lee Bowman

Norman Lee Bowman, a devout Christian, talented artist, writer, editor and teacher, passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Arlington surrounded by his loving family and friends. He was 83.

Those who know Lee best describe him as a deep-thinker with a great sense of humor, a natural-born teacher, a servant and someone who deeply loves his family and friends. He was often quiet, but when he spoke, he always contributed great wisdom or levity.

Lee was married to the love of his life, Carol, for 46 years. Their initial long-distance relationship between Nashville and Dallas blossomed, in part, to mailing letters to each other. Carol still has the letters they sent each other. Together, they had one son, Matt. Lee had a daughter, Kirsten, and son, Brett, from his previous marriage. Much of Lee’s conversations late in life centered on his pride for his six grandchildren and one great-grandson.

The most challenging time in Lee’s life was navigating the grief of losing Kirsten to breast cancer at the age of 49. Lee was by Kirsten’s side when she passed away in 2017 in Bakersfield, Calif.

Lee had a broad background in visual art, journalism, photography, commercial advertising and teaching. He applied his many skills in writing several books, editing magazines and books, as a photojournalist, professional in public relations and advertising and college professor of art. Lee and Carol also founded Clear Stream Publishing and became writers, independent editors and publishers of seven books.

From 1993 to 2017, Lee served as a Professor of Art at Dallas Baptist University and area community colleges. He taught drawing, painting, design, mixed media, media graphics, desktop publishing and art history.

Lee held a master’s degree in painting from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, a graduate degree in theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a degree in English from William Jewell College. In 1973, Lee was honored with the Citation for Achievement award of William Jewell College, the highest alumni honor just eleven years after graduation. He served as board member of the Arlington Museum of Art and Arlington Visual Art Association and was active in the Fort Worth Society of Watercolor Artists (Signature Status) and Christians in the Visual Arts.

Lee’s art was featured in dozens of exhibitions across North Texas over the years. Humble to his core, Bowman doubted himself as an artist before going on to produce beautiful pieces that hang in offices and homes and led to awards and honors across the region. He and Carol also exhibited annually with Faith Artists. “I had always been interested in art, but to tell the truth, I didn’t think I had the ability to do that professionally,” Lee said recently.

Over the last few years, Lee worked tirelessly to finish his memoir, The Story of Me, to provide his grandchildren with a way to know him better beyond their early childhood memories.

Lee was born in St. Louis, one of five children and the youngest of three boys. His father was a traveling salesman and his mother a teacher. His parents instilled spiritual enrichment in him through example and education.

Lee’s mother enrolled him in Third Baptist Church Sunday School class before he was one week old, and his love for God grew from there. He’s been a member at First Baptist Church Arlington since 1985, where he taught adult Bible study for decades.

At 12, Lee joined the Boy Scouts and eventually earned the rank of Life Scout. He had an enthusiastic interest in Indian lore and later in life became a Scoutmaster, helping many boys achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Lee played varsity football before graduating from Kirkwood High School in St. Louis.

During college, Lee was one of six young men selected nationally to work at summer European work camps as part of the National Student Ministry’s program for student summer missions. He sailed from New York to England on a Holland American steamship with a thousand college students and spent time that summer traveling through Europe. He later studied for one year at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Switzerland as part of his graduate degree in theology.

After Seminary, Lee worked as a journalist for the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville. For eight years, he served as Editor of the award-winning magazine for college students, The Student. Much of his creative writing and poetry was captured in this monthly magazine.

Lee ministered to troubled youth in Nashville who were homeless through a ministry called Affirmation House, where he lived with his family and housed indigent young people. Lee helped them get medical services, find work and counseled them through their challenges.

Lee moved from Nashville to Dallas in 1976 and married Carol a year later. They moved to Arlington in 1985, where they’ve lived ever since.

Lee was preceded in death by his mother, Edna Lee (Breshears) Bowman; his father, Paul McDonald Bowman; sister, Paula Ann Sanford; brother, Stanley Wayne Bowman; and his daughter, Kirsten Hungerford.

Lee is survived by his wife, Carol (Ricks) Bowman of Arlington; his son, Brett Bowman of Rosamond, Calif.; his son, Matt Bowman of Arlington and daughter-in-law, Rike; brother, Don Jerry Bowman of St. Louis; sister, Sue Bowman of St. Louis; six grandchildren, Samuel Bowman, Millie Bowman, Benjamin Bowman, Caroline Bowman, Shea Bowman and Tye Hungerford; and one great-grandson, Anthony Bowman.

There will be a visitation from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wade Funeral Home in Arlington. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church Arlington. Interment will be held for family only at 9:00 a.m. Saturday at Emerald Hills Memorial Park in Kennedale. A live stream of the funeral will be offered online for those who can’t travel.

Lee was known for passing down wisdom throughout his life, often uplifting family and friends with phrases such as “Don’t let that get you down” or “Just let it roll off your back” or “You need to keep on keeping on.”

“There are times in your life when things can look pretty bad,” Lee said recently, “but if you keep the faith in the Lord and keep on working, pressing on, you can overcome most of those obstacles.”