March 21, 1934 - August 17, 2025
Bobby Donal Dowdy passed from this life on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at the age of 91. Bob was born March 21, 1934, at Bristow. He was the youngest of six siblings born to Frank Wiley Dowdy and Hester Mae Foster Dowdy. He grew up on the family farm and attended school in the Iron Post community, then transferred to Bristow High School. He was active, participating in football, wrestling, and track and was a class officer. Bob also worked part time after school and for his uncle's dairy farm in Colorado during the summers. He graduated from BHS in May 1953. In September 1953, Bob joined the United States Marine Corps, serving his country proudly during the Korean War in a light machine platoon. While in the Corps, Bob was recognized for his outstanding sharpshooting abilities and was honorably discharged at Camp Pendleton, California with the rank of Sergeant.
It was while he was attending NSU that he met and married the love of his life, Jane Carolyn Lawley. They were united in marriage on August 4, 1962 and were married for 49 years until her passing on February 6, 2012.
Bob continued to work on his graduate degree by completing classes both at Oklahoma State University and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, earning his Master's Degree in Education in 1965, and later his superintendent's certification. After three years of teaching high school in Tohatchi, he became the principal of the newly constructed Tohatchi Junior and Senior High School, a position he held until May 1973 when the family relocated to Cleveland, Oklahoma where he became first the principal of Cleveland Junior High School, then principal of Cleveland High School, and finally finishing his career as the Assistant Superintendent of Cleveland Schools retiring in August 1998. Bob was the second longest serving administrator in the history of Cleveland Public Schools.
He is a longtime member of First Baptist Church, serving in different positions within the church at various times. He was ordained as a deacon for FBC in 1984 and he was also an active member of Gideon International for 20 years. He loved his church and his church family. After Carolyn's death, Bob married Brenda Ponder on Sept. 3, 2013.
Survivors include wife Brenda of the home, and three children: Dianne and David Head of Cleveland; Shannon Howard, of Tulsa; and Joel and Jamie Dowdy, of Lewisville, Texas. Survivors also include seven grandchildren, Caleb Head, Jordan Head and wife Teresa, Logan Head, Gage Langley, Trey Guzman and wife Sydney, Grayson Dowdy, and Morgan Dowdy. Bob was also a proud great-grandfather to Asher Head, Olivia Head and Alexander Guzman. Bob also has one surviving sister, Bunny Baker, of Bristow.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Hester Dowdy, two brothers, Junior Frank (Bill) Dowdy and John Dowdy; two sisters, Nona Mae Bowles Meadows and Dorothy Sparkman, and wife, Jane Carolyn Dowdy.
Services were held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, at the Western Heights Baptist Church in Cleveland with his final resting place at Woodland Cemetery in Cleveland.