Deborah K. Bowman, 62

Our hearts are shattered to announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, Mimi, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Deborah passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, September 20, 2019 after a 7-year battle with multiple myeloma.

Deborah was born on March 12, 1957 to Harold and Betty Luther in Greenwood, IN. Deborah was a 1975 graduate of Center Grove High School where she met her husband (George) of 41 years. After high school, she began working in the insurance field until she and George were married on June 3, 1978. She then moved to Terre Haute, IN and began working for Britt Airways. After George completed college, they moved to Zionsville, IN and have resided there for 38 years. Once in Zionsville, Deborah became an insurance agent and was the co-owner of the Ryan Insurance Group for 20 years. In 2006 after the passing of her Ryan Insurance Group business partner and successfully planning her daughter's wedding, she and her daughter (Cassie) started A Touch of Elegance, LLC, a wedding and event planning business. Together they ran the business for 7 years along with help from Deborah's sister, sister-in-laws, nieces, and some of Cassie's friends and sorority sisters. Deborah loved being involved in such an important milestone in the lives of so many couples and their families.

After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in June 2012, Deborah retired from event planning to become a full-time Mimi. For this child she prayed and her grandson (Grayson) was her pride and joy. Grayson was her absolute best friend and they had an unbreakable bond. It didn't matter how she felt, if he wanted her to do something, she did it. She loved being able to drop him off and pick him up from school. She loved cheering him on at every milestone and at his swimming lessons. She would listen to him for hours on end while he put on shows for her with his various toys. They shared endless hugs, kisses, conversations, and memories.

Growing up Deborah enjoyed camping, boating, and fishing with her parents and siblings. In her retired years, she enjoyed going to Florida to fish with her dad and going to the casino and playing BINGO with her mom and sister. She enjoyed keeping in contact via social media, greeting cards, and in person with her family, friends, past event planning brides and vendors, and her parents' friends from Florida. Deborah loved spending time with her family, having fish frys, hosting people for birthdays and holidays, going to the Indy 500, and going on many family vacations to Disney World, Hilton Head, French Lick, and cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska.

The void that Deborah's passing leaves in our hearts is immense. The reality of trying to put together a new normal feels like an enormous task, as her selflessness and thoughtfulness are unmatched. She touched so many lives in each stage of her life. Her hugs, her kisses, her phone calls, her texts, her smiles, her laughter, her calm reassuring nature, her advice, all of it and more will be so missed.

Deborah was preceded in death by her mother (Betty Luther), her father-in-law (George Bowman), and many aunts and uncles.

Deborah is survived by her husband (George Bowman), daughter and son-in-law (Cassie and Dustin Smith), grandson (Grayson Smith), father (Harold Luther), brother (Timothy Luther), sister (Glenda [Gary] Ayers), mother-in-law (Julene Bowman), brother-in-law (Jon [Karrie] Bowman), sister-in-laws (Terri [Jeff] Booth, Lori [Troy] Justice), many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and so many other loving family and friends.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone at IU Health for the wonderful care that has been provided by all of the physicians, nurses, and associated staff. We were blessed to have such amazing people taking care of Deborah from her initial diagnosis, to her first stem cell transplant, to her many good years on maintenance, and at the final stage of life. It was so nice to hear all of the stories from everyone about how loved Deborah was by all of the physicians and nurses at all of the facilities and all of the specialties.

So goodbye for now wife, mom, Mimi, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. We will miss you so very much. We will carry you with us forever and we know that you are watching over us daily.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Miles for Myeloma to help find a cure for this disease. You can give online at www.cancer.iu.edu/m4m . Scroll to the bottom of the page and "Click here to make a gift."

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens & Funeral Home located at 1977 S State Rd 135, Greenwood, IN 46143 with visitation from 9:00am-11:00am and the service beginning at 11:00am.