Surrounded by family, Sherrie L. Bowin went to be with her Lord and Saviour Jesus on 4/28/2026. Her legal name was actually Sheryl, a fact that one of her sons only discovered a few years ago. There were three Sheryls in her first grade class so her teacher pronounced that she would be “Sherrie.” The name always stuck with her.
Sherrie was born in Galion on January 9, 1963 to E. Peter (Pete) and Jane E. Haas. She wasn’t born with much hair and took offense when anyone commented that a baby was “bald”. She always wanted to be a teacher but when it came time to go to college, her guidance counselor claimed that there was an overabundance of teachers so she attended North Central Technical College and received a degree in accounting. Having the heart of a teacher, she homeschooled all four of her children and she must have done a pretty good job because they each went on to graduate from college, one with two master’s degrees, two with engineering degrees and one with a degree from Harvard University.
Sherrie and her husband Bill were childhood sweethearts who met at Leesville Elementary School in the fifth grade. They were married on December 7, 1985 at the (Galion) First Church of the Nazarene and were blessed with four amazing children. To say that she was proud of every one of her children would be a serious understatement. She poured her heart and soul into raising her children and it was such a pleasure to become friends with them in their adult years. They also rewarded her with ten grandchildren. Bill always said that “having grandchildren is SO much better than having children – they’re the reward for not killing your own children when they were teenagers.” Known as “Grandma”, “Damma”, “Ole Wa” or “Old Lady” (a name that she dearly loved but only Buddy used – no one else would dare call her that), she dearly loved all her grandchildren and did her absolute best to spoil them. The cookie jar was rarely empty. “Sugar ‘em up and send ‘em home” was the motto. OK, she never actually said that. It was Bill’s saying but he needed Sherrie to make the cookies.
Together, Sherrie and Bill operated a contract engineering firm which has handled the technical tasks for radio stations in Newark, Bucyrus and Bellefontaine since the 1980s and in more recent years, facilities throughout the state for Educational Media Foundation, better known as K-Love and Air1. After the kids were grown, she re-entered the workforce and was employed by North American Broadcasting Company in Columbus where she started as an engineering assistant before transitioning into accounts receivable. She loved working with her NABCO family and couldn’t wait to get to work each morning. Bill is the Chief Engineer for NABCO and Sherrie was the “books on tape” during their daily commute, sometimes reading as many as 40 books in a year.
Volunteering was no stranger to Sherrie. In addition to homeschooling her own children, she homeschooled the children of some friends and never turned down an opportunity to tutor a student or to just help them with their homework. For many years she volunteered as a teacher’s helper in the Galion schools where she worked very hard to make a difference in those children’ s lives. She also taught children’s Sunday school and acted as the Children’s Ministries Director for more years that she’d care to admit.
She will be dearly missed by her mother Jane, sister Valeria (Dave) Weir, husband Bill, children Will & Brittny Bowin of Galion, Samuel & Lisa Bowin of Clawson, Michigan, Chris & Erika Bowin of Marysville, Sarah & John Swank of Mansfield and of course all those grandchildren; Karra (Sister), Sydney, Sawyer, Will (Buddy), Skyler, Matthew (Doctor Matt), Holden, Madi, Archie (he’s NOT bald!) and the newest addition, Isla. She’ll also be very missed by her “children from another mother” Meg & Mack Asher, Brandon Thomas, Cindy Brenneman, Laura Bertsch and Kevin Poast.
Sherrie already had many relatives waiting for her – too many to name. Her favorites were her dad Pete (Pa) Haas, grandparents Lewis (Pop) and Ella Mae (Din) Kemp and her favorite pup Jeff. Perhaps most importantly, she was finally able to meet her Angel Baby grandchild for the first time.
The family will be having a “Graduation Celebration” or as Sawyer so aptly called it “Grandma’s Happy Life Ceremony” on May 23, 2026 at 11am at the Galion Church of the Nazarene, 777 Fairview Ave., Galion. Casual dress is mandatory – shorts & running shoes are OK! Clothes and possessions meant very little to Sherrie and getting dressed up wasn’t one of her favorite things to do. Bring a lawn chair and story and join us in the celebration.
In lieu of flowers or momentos, donations may be made to the Galion Church of the Nazarene, 777 Fairview Ave, Galion, OH 44833, Riverside Christian School, P.O. Box 1, Lost Creek, KY 41348 or The Grain of Rice Project, 26304 White Pines Dr, Guilford, IN 47022. Whatever you do, always strive to be a positive influence in a child’s life.
Those wishing to share a memory of Sherrie or send condolences to the Bowin family may do so by visiting www.masfh.com.
The Gompf Funeral Service – Galion Chapel, 303 Portland Way N., is honored to serve the family of Sheryl “Sherrie” Bowin.
Funeral Home: Gompf Funeral Service – Galion Chapel
Website: www.masfh.com