Mary Ann Reed Bowen

Mary Ann Reed Bowen, mother of six children and retired educator, playwright, editor and actress died in her own home on January 5, 2026. The service will be held Monday, January 12, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, downtown Oxford, Mississippi. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 1:00 P.M. Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For the family, friends, and fans that are unable to attend, the service will be streamed on https://m.youtube.com/@stpetersoxford

Mary Ann was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 25, 1923. She spent many young years with her family in Massillon, Ohio. Mary Ann graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in theater and speech, and turned her eyes toward Broadway, “because I thought that would be a good way to live more than one life; nothing snapped me up immediately so I came south to Mississippi, Ole Miss.” Here, she found Ole Miss Rebel football star, Buddy Bowen, as a student in her speech class. They married June of 1947 and along came six children. In addition to family devotion, over the years she acted in community theaters, completed her master’s degree and taught high school English and drama at Murrah High School and Jackson Preparatory School. She rejoined the Ole Miss staff in 1982 advising students who were on their way to becoming doctors and lawyers- a role she dearly enjoyed. “Each day is really like an act in a play.” Her passion for learning took her to the University of Illinois as well as Oxford, England.

Mary Ann Bowen was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Shepherd Reed and mother, Mary Lucille Cole; her sister, Martha Lee Reed Vinograd; and her husband, John H. “Buddy” Bowen.

Survivors include her children, John H. “Bo” Bowen (Marty), Anne Cooke (Bill), Dinah Madison Bowen (Joe), Mark Bowen (Janie), Becca Bowen, and Reece Bowen; grandchildren, Taylor Bowen Ricketts (Darby), Bell Bowen, Mimi Bowen Crush (Chip), Maggie Bowen Hanna (Tim), Benjamin Brown, Jason Brown (Madeline), Anne Dorsey McCauley (Michael), Alex Dorsey Smith (Kristopher), Reed Bowen (Kiara), Mary Elizabeth Bowen Barker (Michael), Meagan Bowen James (Manning), and Kate Bowen Marks (Cody); great grand-children Juniper Hite, Annabel Crush (Isaac), Charlie Crush, Johnny Crush, Charlotte Crush, Reed Brown, Cecilia Brown, Bo Brown, Tommy McCauley, Sara Jane McCauley, Charlie McCauley, Ashlyn Spears, Amery Spears, Bryson Dorsey, Krislynn Smith, Sela Ricketts, Lola Ricketts; and great-great-grandchild, Weston Spears.

Memorials may be made to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 113 South Ninth Street, Oxford, Mississippi.

“Who me?? Teach? Never! I’m going to be an actress! Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby will be knocking on my door any minute now!” MARB