2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 187
Celebrating the life of Nancy Thumma Bowles.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Nancy Thumma Bowles, who dedicated much of her life to serving her community and the Commonwealth, died on January 20, 2026; and
WHEREAS, born in 1930 and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Nancy Bowles attended the former Richmond Professional Institute, where she studied occupational therapy and trained to rehabilitate World War II veterans at what is today the Richmond Veterans Administration Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, Nancy Bowles was married to the late United States Air Force veteran and journalist George Ashby Bowles, Jr., with whom she traveled the world and made many lasting international friendships; and
WHEREAS, since 1971, Nancy Bowles was the steadfast steward of The Oaks, a 206-year-old home straddling the border of Goochland and Fluvanna Counties that is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places; and
WHEREAS, Nancy Bowles carefully preserved The Oaks as open space by placing nearly 200 acres into a conservation easement, creating a welcome sanctuary for wildlife, birds, and a menagerie of many happy dogs; and