Robert E. Bowen ’48, Former Hennepin County and Minnesota District Judge, Dies at 96

Robert E. Bowen ’48, who served as a judge in both the Hennepin County and Minnesota District Court systems, passed away May 15 at the age of 96.

Born in Minneapolis, Bowen was an Eagle Scout and valedictorian of the Blake School class of 1941. He served in the U.S. Army for three years during World War II, including combat duty in Germany under General George S. Patton. Following his discharge, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, earning a B.A. in history (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude) before attending the Law School, where he worked on the Minnesota Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. As an alumnus, he was a consistent donor to Minnesota Law.

After clerking for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Thomas Gallagher ’21, Bowen began his lawyering career as a solo practitioner, concluding it 23 years later as a partner with Gray Plant Mooty (now Lathrop GPM). He was appointed to the Hennepin County Municipal Court in 1973 and to the Minnesota District Court in 1980. After retiring from the bench in 1988, Bowen spent the next 20 years as a court-appointed special master and as a mediator and arbitrator in civil cases. 

Away from the courtroom, Bowen was an avid angler; indeed, he was so fond of fishing and its gear that fellow jurist Ann Montgomery ’74, now a senior U.S. District Court judge, once quipped, “If you ordered a judge from L. L. Bean, you’d get Bob Bowen.” He also loved choral singing and sang with church choirs, the University Chorus, and the Bach Society. Bowen and his late wife, Alexandria, were charter members of the Minnesota Chorale. They also traveled extensively in Europe and the Americas.

A memorial service will be held in Stillwater, Minnesota, when family, friends, and colleagues can gather safely to celebrate Bowen’s life.