COL ELMO "LYLE" BOWMAN's Obituary
COL ELMO "LYLE" BOWMAN, 99, US Army (Ret) of Potomac Falls, Virginia, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at INOVA Loudoun Hospital Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Born Wednesday, October 20, 1926, in DeWitt, Iowa he was the son of the late William A. Bowman and Minnie “Etta” Largen Bowman. His early life was spent growing up on farms and in small towns across Iowa and Ohio where his natural curiosity for how things worked blossomed. After graduation from high school, where he excelled academically, he joined the Army to serve the nation during WWII and begin a life of service.
During Lyle’s military career, which spanned over 35 years, his assignments took him to Texas, Oregon, Germany (where he met his wife), Arizona, California, Taiwan, New Jersey, Korea, and Belgium along with numerous other locations on temporary assignments. His primary focus was on managing projects and developing technology for the warfighter in the communications and electronics domain. He retired from the military in 1979 as Deputy Director of the US Army Electronics Command Laboratory at Ft Monmouth.
After retirement, Lyle and his wife returned to Tucson, AZ where he briefly worked as a consultant. He decided to take classes to learn new skills in computer hardware and programming, developing a passion for building his own PC’s that continued for decades. It also led to service supporting the Volunteer Tax Assistance program where he not only set up the computers each year but also helped others prepare their income taxes. In 1996 they made their final move to the Falcons Landing community in Potomac Falls, VA. Here Lyle continued his volunteerism for the tax assistance program but also became very active in the community, leading their walking group, assisting the IT department, and leading the Residents Council. Only his health eventually slowed him down.
Lyle was predeceased by his beloved wife the late Edith Irmgard Bowman in 2022. He leaves his family to cherish his memory including his son Douglas Bowman and his wife, Patricia, of Orlando, FL; daughter, Michelle Sween and her husband, Eric, of Dover, DE; grandchildren, Christopher Bowman, Kristen Semanchik, Jennifer Turner, and Kayla Sween, 6 great-grandchildren and sister JoAnn Umberger of Olive Branch, MS.
Col Bowman will be laid to rest with his wife in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Falcons Landing Benevolent Fund, 20533 Falcons Landing Circle, Potomac Falls, VA 20165.
Online condolences may be made to the family at https://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
What’s your fondest memory of ELMO?
What’s a lesson you learned from ELMO?
Share a story where ELMO's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with ELMO you’ll never forget.
How did ELMO make you smile?
