Virgil Lincoln Bowans

Virgil finally got his heartfelt wish to be with together with his wife again on September 13, 2017. Virgil passed peacefully in the presence of his excellent and loving Jaxpointe caregivers. Virgil was born in Butte, Nebraska on July 29, 1923 to Arthur and Mary Bowans. He had one brother, Mervin, and two sisters, Phyllis and Marjorie. Virgil moved with his family to St. Francis, Kansas sometime in his childhood. His father was a farmer and as Virgil grew older, he took over the farming duties. Virgil added cattle to the farm and turned it into a profitable enterprise before being drafted into the Army for WWII. Virgil was a clerk in the Army and was stationed in Germany. Upon being released from the Army, he returned home to St. Francis. His father had sold the farm, so Virgil became an auto mechanic and worked a variety of jobs. Virgil met his future wife, Shirley McNutt, soon after his return from Germany. They both moved to Denver, Colorado to pursue employment opportunities. Virgil worked at a gas station and Shirley was a bank teller. They married on March 20, 1960. Together they had one child, LaVon, in 1961. The family lived in Denver until 1969 when they moved to a new home in Arvada. Virgil began working as a long haul truck driver in the early 1960’s. He worked for IML until his retirement in 1985. For many years, he had a route from Denver to Rock Springs, Wyoming making the trip three times per week. During retirement, Virgil and Shirley purchased a boat and enjoyed going fishing at several lakes in Colorado including Grand Lake, Stagecoach Reservoir, Eleven Mile Reservoir and Blue Mesa Reservoir. They were both avid gardeners and had a huge garden in the backyard of their home in Arvada. Virgil loved tinkering with cars. He was an excellent mechanic and could fix almost anything. He didn’t own many cars during his lifetime, but was particularly fond of the cars he owned most recently: a 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis and a 1979 GMC Pickup. Virgil never met a stranger and could make small talk with anyone. He was preceded in death by his wife Shirley, his parents and all of his siblings. He is survived by his daughter, LaVon, a very special friend and neighbor Chris Hammond, and several nieces and nephews. His niece, Leslie, was especially close to him.