Bruce was born May 31, 1942 in Duluth, Minnesota to Louis V. Cowen and Katherine R. Fuller Cowen. The family moved to Spokane, WA when Bruce was 2. Bruce attended Mead High School (Class of 1960), worked at the Kaiser Aluminum Plant and the Spokane Country Club and skied the slopes of Mt. Spokane before moving to Seattle and enrolling at the University of Washington. He received a BS degree in Business Administration in 1972. Bruce also served 6 years as a communication technician in the Washington State Air National Guard.

After graduating from UW, Bruce landed a job in Anchorage, AK with the Alyeska Pipeline Project as a financial forecaster for the Treasury Department. He got to travel up and down the pipeline checking on the needs of the construction crews and reporting back to the Budget Office. He was very proud of his work there and often talked about his time in Alaska (1974-1976). When he returned to Seattle, he began his career in real estate, accomplishing condo conversions in the 70s and 80s and then switching to commercial real estate development after that. He followed his dream of owning his own business in the 90s, acquiring KRK Glass, a commercial glass installation company. His claim to fame, however, was the purchase and development of three commercial buildings in Belltown which spurred the revival of the neighborhood into a vibrant dining and retail hub for the city.

Bruce married his longtime friend, Barb Tabor, in 1982. Two beautiful children followed, Kristine (KC) and Jeffrey. He was extremely proud of both of his children. Bruce and his family resided in Issaquah for 26 years before he and Barb downsized to a condo in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Although he worked very hard at his buildings, he found time to enjoy his passions of sailing on his sailboat, Reprieve, and later motoring on his Grand Banks, Jestine, up in the San Juans Islands, skiing with his kids on the slopes of Blackcomb Mountain at Whistler, BC and collecting tools for his woodworking hobby. He and Barb really enjoyed their world-wide travels, river cruises and home exchanges with friends and family. But he was also just as happy with his walks with friends through Washington Park in Anacortes.

Bruce selected Anacortes, WA for his retirement residence. He built a home in the Skyline neighborhood which became his sanctuary. Lots of birds, boats, and weather to watch every day.

Bruce was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in January 2013 and died March 8, 2021 from a heart attack at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, WA. He was preceded in death by his brother Greg. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Barbara, his daughter, Kristine (Brian Ficken) and his son, Jeffrey (Stacy Vanderhoff) and three precious grandsons, Finnegan (4 years old) and Theodore (10 months old) Ficken and Louis V. Cowen (20 months old).

Special thanks to Visiting Angels, Mt. Vernon Office and Bruce's longtime caregiver and buddy, Tamara, for the compassionate, respectful, and kind in-home care for the past two years. And the expert guidance and care of the Kaiser Permanente Contour Program, especially Jeannie, ARNP.

Donations can be made in his name towards the restoration of the 1906 Burrows Island Lighthouse near Anacortes (a favorite kayaking spot of Bruce's):

The Northwest Schooner Society

PO Box 75421

Seattle, WA 98175

Rest In Peace, Bruce. Putz, our corgi, will be glad to see you.

Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory Inc., Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. To share memories of Bruce, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com