Service
Friday, November 29, 2024 | Wake: 10:00 a.m. |Service: 11:00 a.m.
Bethel Ministries |9001 Vollmerhausen Road | Savage, Maryland 20763
Celebration of life Livestream Link
Interment
Crestlawn Veteran Cemetery
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Obituary
Destin H. Bowles was born on October 3, 1931 in Champaign, Illinois and was the 6th child of eight born to Theotto and Luvata (Cabell) Bowles. Destin was called home to be with the Lord at 5:10 pm on Sunday November 17, 2024 at the Luminis Health Doctors Medical Center in Lanham, Maryland after suffering a recent illness.
Following graduation from high school, he joined the United States Air Force (USAF) where he was stationed in Korea and Cheyenne Wyoming. He was later honorably discharged from the service as a Staff Sergeant at Parks Air Force Base in Dublin, California. Destin made his way back to Chicago in the 1950’s where he met and married his first wife Joyce Boyd. From that union, they had two children Destin Bowles Jr and Darryl Bowles. Destin spent 12 plus years as owner operator of the New Met Barber Shop. His huge shop featured 6 chairs and 2 full-time manicurists; it was the place to be in the late 1960s and 1970s. His infectious laugh and humor were loved by his customers. The pride of minority businesses on 47th St in Chicago. Destin (aka Howard) was the personal barber for several entertainers (Count Basie, George Kirby, Daddy-O Daylie [radio jock], and others.) It was during that time he was given the opportunity to travel and learned to play golf. He later taught his youngest son to play golf. This included many 5:30 am tee times (9 holes) before going to work\school. As the barber business ‘faded’ in the late 1970s, he had to make the life\career shift. He returned to school to complete his Associates degree at Olive Harvey College, improved his bowling skills (first learned in USAF) and became a phenomenal bread maker after learning how to cook following his divorce. His retooling skills included work as an ATM Repair Technician, part-time armed security with the University of Chicago & Hyde Park YMCA and several other part-time jobs. Ultimately, the additional education and prior training in the Air Force as a Teletype technician enabled him to become a Customer Service Engineer in the 1980’s with International Business Machines (IBM). During one of his site visits\high speed printer repairs at Montgomery Wards, he met and later married Thelma Wiley. Together, they purchased and maintained several multi-unit apartment buildings through retirement from their full-time jobs. While Thelma was known as the caring, detailed and patient landlord, Destin was often seen as the cantankerous “dude” prioritizing timely rent payments. To save time and money with the buildings, he also studied and became a locksmith including outfitting a small white raggedy van with a key machine. Despite being the “fiscally conservative” and the “grouchy guy”, his soft spots were his grand kids: Brandle, Quinton, Jillian, and Angela. Always promoting more education and training in his unique way.
When he was not helping Thelma collect rent, his favorite past time was playing golf and pool. His nickname at the local pool halls was “Corn beef”. Destin and Thelma traveled extensively, both domestic and internationally. He especially loved traveling to domestic locksmith conventions, bowling, pool and\or golf tournaments. He always made time to see family as he toured each city. Destin moved to Maryland with has son in 2016 after several highly contentious interaction with tenants. He successfully fought two COVID-19 infections and believed that a new LED 75-inch television was the solution to vision and hearing challenges as he aged.
Destin is survived by his son (Darryl Bowles), daughter-in law (Pamela Bowles), step-daughter (Regina Long), grandchildren (Brandle, Quinton, Jillian and Angela), great grandson (Mateo Bowles), two siblings (Barneda Bowles-Waddell and Theola Bowles-Murphy) and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, grandnephews and grandnieces. Destin was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Bowles (2012), his son, Destin H. Bowles Jr of Dwight, IL (2015), his siblings Morris Bowles of Pacoima, CA (2012), Yvonne Clark of Springfield, IL (1997), Alora Jean Bowles of Champaign, IL (2014), Wilburn Bowles of Maywood, IL (1976) and Quinton Bowles of Columbia, MD (2014).
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