“After high school we both attended the University of Washington in Seattle and we set up a dating service for our friends on Greek Row. I was a Kappa Sigma and Carol was a Sigma Kappa. I think there were four KS/SK marriages around the same time. The two houses were just a block away from each other and we socialized together.”
IBM moved John and Carol to New York for a year of training and IBM sent them to a secret location in the Nevada desert for two years. Carol began raising children in the desert until they managed a transfer to a Think Factory in Santa Monica called “The Rand Corporation.” John’s small group of twenty “Thinkers” came up with the Internet during the seven years he was there and two Nobel prizes. He was not around ordinary folks and the movie “A Beautiful Mind” was based on events at Rand,
John’s career progressed and he went from Computer Engineer to Marketing Representative to become the Practice Leader of a management consulting group. For a short time John was also a vice-president at the Vanguard Corporation.
Carol and John raised three children and have nine grandchildren. Carol went to work as a secretary in 1974 and by 1982 she owned and operated the insurance company she worked at. Her personal clients included many of the most popular movie and television stars from the 1980s and still include names like Sly Stallone.
Carol said, “In 1992 we were barely 50 and we figured out we could quit working and still eat, so we did. Quit working that is. In 1994 the Northridge quake made us want to leave Los Angeles and our nice home in Topanga Canyon. We had been attending Jazz concerts in Pismo with our friends and we just looked around one day and found Black Lake. We really liked the people here and bought the first house that suited our needs.”
John says, “When we first retired, we thought we would sit on the beach in Costa Rica. In reality we become bored so easily that we have volunteered for many clubs and committees. I chaired the Nipomo Advisory Council for a time and Carol was the president of the Dana Adobe efforts. I am currently a candidate for the Senior Senate in Sacramento representing Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. If I win, I’ll spend Octobers in Sacramento fighting for Senior Citizens issues. When my friends found out I was running, I was honored to have been endorsed by every community leader in Nipomo.”
The Bowen’s are world travelers. They have visited 35 different foreign countries since living in Black Lake and managed the equivalent of sailing around the world twice. Their hobbies include custom made cars. John’s red Cadillac convertible was made in Florida and Carol’s Lincoln has 460 horsepower and two television sets. They attend the Grand Prix races and the Concours d’Elegance car shows.
The Bowens also publish the Black Lake Buzz, the Chamber Chat, the Newcomer’s Newsletter and they co-authored and published the family book “Boven Dutch Apple Pie.” Between them, they serve on the Tefft Corridor beautification committee, Nipomo traffic committee, Nipomo Parks committee, NCAC, Dana Adobe board, Newcomers, club, Crown Pointe homeowners, Electric Vehicle owners club, Chamber of Commerce, assist the Clark Center, head the Computer Club, serve on the board of Newcomers, John was the Gyro president in 1998 and is currently a Gyro Director serving as our activities chair. They even play a little golf if you can believe that and run a kid’s camp for their grandchildren each summer.
John said, “The Gyros were the first friends we made in Black Lake. We have made life long friends. We are very lucky people.”
