JOE ROBERT "JOE BOB" BOWDEN, SR. was born on July 15, 1932 in Wichita
Falls, Texas. He passed away at home on November 12, 2006 in Spring, Texas.
Joe Bob was a graduate of Allen Academy in Bryan, Texas; attended Mid
Western University in Wichita Falls, Texas on a football scholarship for one
year, and then graduated from Oklahoma University in Norman, OK with a BS in
Geology. Joe Bob married Mary Helen Middleton on October 30, 1954 in Wichita
Falls. From 1950-1955 Joe Bob worked various oilfield jobs as a rough neck,
driller, and tool pusher in Texas and Oklahoma. Then he attended OCS for the
US Army at Ft. Benning, Georgia and finished his service at Ft. Riley,
Kansas as a 2nd Lieutenant. Joe Bob worked for Earlsbrro Oil and Gas in
Oklahoma City; National Mud Company in Medford, OK; Tri-State Oil and Tool
in Morgan City, LA; Mission Mud of Louisiana of Morgan City, New Orleans,
and McAllen Texas. From 1962-1973 worked for IMC Drilling MUD, Inc. LA
Offshore, Houma, Shreveport, Houston; 1973-1976 Joe consulted for Paul
Cameron on deep wells. In 1976, Joe Bob formed Wild Well Control, Inc. in
Spring, Texas, which specialized in capping oil and gas wells. Joe's company
is recognized as one of the leading well control companies in the world. Joe
Bob worked on more than 1000 wells throughout the world. In 1991, he was one
of the first three well control specialist sent to Kuwait after the war; his
company capped 137 wells in the project. Also in 1976, Joe Bob formed his
own consulting company JRB Consultants. He employed 25 consultants
throughout the US. Joe Bob was preceded in death by his father, Samuel David
Bowden; grandmother, Pearl Wearmouth; son-in-law, James Harold Norris, Jr.;
father and mother-in-law, Henry and Helen Middleton. Survived by his wife of
52 years, Mary Helen Middleton Bowden; his mother, Gladys Gardner and
step-father, Vernon Gardner; his four children Cindy and Gary Marek and
daughters Michelle and Ashley; Joe and Heidi Bowden and their children,
Christa and Joe; Penny and Gordon Jumonville and their children, Michelle
Jumonville, Jim Norris, and Katie Winter; Sam and Stephanie Bowden and their
children, Sam, Danielle, Chandler, and Kaleb, and also numerous brothers'
and sisters'-in-law, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Joe Bob
had a great love for his family, friends, Oklahoma University, his work,
golf, fishing, hunting, owning race horses, snow skiing, entertaining
friends and clients, cooking peanut brittle, a little bit on casino
gambling, and sometimes a stranger to the truth. A Celebration of life will
be held Thursday from 6-9pm at Klein Funeral Home. A memorial service will
be held at 10am on Friday, November 17, 2006 at the Episcopal Church of the
Good Shepard in Tomball. In lieu of flowers, make a contribution to your
favorite charity.
Published in the Houston Chronicle from 11/13/2006 - 11/15/2006.
Notice . Guest Book . Flowers . Charities
