Stanley Joseph Bowen

Stanley Joseph Bowen passed away Aug. 5, 2025, at the age of 67, after three years of courageously facing Frontal Temporal Degeneration (FTD). He was born on Jan. 23, 1958, in Coalville, Utah, to Harold and JoAnn Bowen as the second of five children. Those who knew Stan growing up remember him as a friend to everyone.

In high school, he played as the starting center on the North Summit varsity basketball team, later joining a Salt Lake community league with neighborhood friends and his older brother, Tan. He shared his love of the game with his children, spending many hours on the court with them. A true country boy, Stan was also part of Riders of the Purple Sage, a group of friends who enjoyed riding horses together. He had a soft chuckle but knew how to get others laughing.

A hometown boy at heart, Stan only briefly moved away to attend college, earning an associate degree in diesel mechanics before returning to Summit County. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he met his loving wife, Christine, at a singles ward event, and the two shared 18 eventful years together.

Stan was known as a dependable, hard-working man. He dedicated 30 years to the Utah Department of Transportation, working in the Engineering Department as a surveyor and inspector and later in maintenance. After retiring, he devoted his time to the things he loved most.

Stan’s idea of a good day was simple – spending time with his sweetheart, fresh air and open skies, a project to work on, or a guitar in his hands. He built two cabins, a greenhouse, and numerous sheds in the Wasatch Mountains without a single blueprint, just his own know-how. Winters also brought his famous football field-long tubing run, shoveled out by hand with several twists and turns for family to enjoy. Stan might not have been a big hiker, but he knew the backcountry like the back of his hand. He loved riding snowmobiles and 4-wheelers through the dirt roads and trails of Echo Canyon with his wife, friends, and family. Every elk and deer season was special to him – not just for the hunt, but for the chance to share that time with his kids in a place that felt like home.

While Stan thrived in the outdoors, his home in Coalville held a different kind of escape – his music room. Antlers hung alongside photos of his wife, kids, and grandkids, and shelves of photo albums told his family’s story. The space was packed with vinyl records, open-reel and cassette tapes, CDs, amps, and instruments, including his grandfather's acoustic guitar. A veteran of a few rock and country bands, Stan often settled in there to strum along with America, the Bee Gees, and Due West.

He loved a good treat and kept chocolate licorice, taffy, and Pepsi well stocked at home. With his love of sweet things, his grandchildren always knew they could share a popsicle with grandpa. Stan also loved going to see plays with his wife and thoroughly enjoyed tear-jerking dramas, Bonanza, and Hallmark movies during the Christmas holidays.

Stan was a man who valued family, the great outdoors, and a job done right. He leaves behind a life built with his own two hands and memories that will be shared for years to come.

Stan is survived by his wife, Christine Bowen; his children, Jessica Hafen, Daniel Bowen, Kevin Bowen, and Kaydee Heward; his stepdaughters, Jette Carr and Samantha Antares; eleven grandchildren; and his siblings, Tan Bowen, Tonya Keeve, Troy Bowen, and Travis Bowen.

A graveside will be held Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. at the Hoytsville Cemetery, 1095 S Hoytsville Rd. Coalville, UT 84017.