Nancy L. Bowman
Nancy Levering Bowman, 94, former longtime resident of Haddonfield, NJ, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2026, at Medford Leas in Medford, NJ.
Born Nancy Weir Levering in Camden, NJ, on August 15, 1932, to Mildred and Frederick Weir Levering, she was known warmly as Nance, Mimi, and Gram to friends and family. Smart, creative, and quietly wry, Nancy had a way of tending to the world around her so that everything became more beautiful, well-grounded, and woven into something unforgettable.
Her love story with her late husband, Bob Bowman, began in elementary school with neighborhood warfare when Bob threw dirt bombs at her from the “trenches” across the street. Bob’s persistence clearly paid off; after crossing paths again following college, Nancy married “the boy across the street” in 1958.
Nancy graduated from Wellesley College in 1953 with a degree in botany. She attended Columbia School of Nursing but ultimately decided nursing was not her calling and chose instead to teach second grade in Cherry Hill until she and Bob started their family. Recognizing early on that local grade schools lacked dedicated libraries, Nancy later stepped in to help establish the library at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School in Haddonfield, serving as librarian, curating classroom book collections, and inviting authors in to inspire students.
Nancy devoured the newspaper cover to cover each morning, carefully saving articles (lots of them!) she thought her family would enjoy. She loved writing and held language in high regard. She published a poetry collection, On the North Side, when she was 19; penned her own Winnie-the-Pooh tales; and wielded a legendary red pen over her children’s school papers. She was also known for her dry wit and lightening-fast one-liners. She once invited neighbors over for a “pot party”—causing immediate scandal until attendees realized they were meant to bring a one-pot meal to the hippie-themed dinner party.
Animals naturally found their way to Nancy, and she had a heart rivaling Dr. Dolittle. Her childhood home housed everything from Great Danes and a duck to pet white mice and a baby goat. Her own home bustled with four cats, a dog, rabbits, a catfish, and pet mice over the years. Whenever a wild animal was hurt, Nancy stepped in, whether to nurse a hurt turtle or rehabilitate an injured crow the family affectionately named “Johnny Crow.” In her later years, her beloved grey cat Smokey was her constant companion.
To many who knew her, Nancy was first and foremost a passionate, deeply knowledgeable gardener. Her affinity for plants blossomed when her family moved to Cricket Call Farm in Cherry Hill, where she developed an enduring love for herbs, vegetables, and wildflowers. Along with a close friend, Nancy co-founded “The Plant Ladies,” a venture that held seasonal herb sales offering fresh plants and homemade herb specialties. She later completed the Barnes Arboretum Horticulture Program, deepening her command of botanical science and garden design. She remained an active member of the Herb Society of America, Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, and the Haddonfield Garden Club, occasionally giving lectures and visiting local schools to share her expertise.
Above all, Nancy poured tremendous imagination and love into family celebrations and everyday gatherings, creating memories and traditions that will last for generations. Her children’s birthday celebrations always included homemade invitations, themed games, and amazing birthday cakes. Halloween brought bowls of cold spaghetti “brains” and meticulously carved pumpkins, while Christmas was filled with caroling parties, huge gingerbread men, and handmade decorations. We will always remember her lifelong love of singing and music, particularly the day she ran down a hill in Vermont singing “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” at the top of her lungs, and the laughter of Medford Leas staff as she recited cheers from her high school cheerleading days.
Nancy was preceded in death by her husband Bob, her parents, and her sisters Jean and Millie. She is survived by her four children, Carolyn (Ben) Ragusa, Peter (Julie) Bowman, Jonathan (Christi) Bowman, and Jennifer (Glover) Lawrence; 12 grandchildren; and a menagerie of six grand-dogs and three grand-cats.
The family is planning a celebration of Nancy’s life for springtime, when the flowers are in full bloom. In honor of her lifelong love for all living things, memorial donations may be made to the World Wildlife Fund (https://www.worldwildlife.org/ ) or the ASPCA ( https://www.aspca.org/ ).