Published in the July 8, 2016 edition.

Obit-Bowen-web WAKEFIELD — Warren J. Bowen, 85, of Wakefield, formerly of Reading, Tewksbury and Arlington, died Wednesday, July 6.

Born in Medford on Nov. 27, 1930, he was the son of the late John and Margaret (Condon) Bowen.

Warren was born and raised in Arlington, where he was a star baseball player. After high school, he had a short but successful minor league career with the St. Louis Cardinals before enlisting in the Army to fight in the Korean War.

After returning home from the war, Warren met his wife of over 58 years, Mary (Anderson) of Wakefield. He graduated from Merrimack College and later received a master’s degree in Education from Salem State College.

He then began a 35-year career teaching social studies to at Tewksbury Memorial High School, eventually becoming department head. He also served at the head baseball coach at Tewksbury High for 10 years.

Warren and Mary raised their six children in Reading, where they lived for over 30 years. They also spent many wonderful years vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard.

Warren’s pride and legacy was his family. He was the best dad to Margaret (Bowen) Hayes and her husband Gregory of Wilmington, Anne (Bowen) Ogden and her husband Ric of Andover, John Bowen and his wife Joan of Medford, Richard Bowen and his wife Elaine of Townsend, Kathy (Bowen) Bishop and her husband Paul of Wakefield and Patrick Bowen and his girlfriend Elsie Koob of Portland, Maine. He was the brother of the late Ruth Ronan and her husband Richard.

His favorite title was that of “Papa” to his 12 grandchildren: Jared and Hilary Hayes of Wilmington, Spenser, Ben and Kinsey Ogden of Andover, Nicholas and Lucas Bowen of Medford, Anna and Clara Bowen of Townsend, Samantha, Lizzie and Tori Bishop of Wakefield.

His funeral will be held from the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Saturday at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield at 10 o’clock. Interment to follow at Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the funeral home on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m.