In his work and his retirement, Tim Bowden put others first

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A former NYPD officer, Vietnam veteran and beloved husband and father, Riverdalian Timothy Bowden passed away on Aug. 5 after a struggle with cancer. He was 64. 

Born in Nevada but raised by his aunt and uncle in Washington Heights, Mr. Bowden grew up with his three cousins, Patsy, Kate and Danny Bowden, all of whom considered him a sibling. 

He moved to Riverdale with his wife Nancy after serving in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972. 

It was his uncle Robert — an NYPD officer himself and father figure to Mr. Bowden — who inspired him to join the police department in 1973. 

In 1982, Mr. Bowden received a Heroes Award for bravery from Mayor Ed Koch for rescuing a man from the Hudson River. 

After a cab driver was robbed, handcuffed and thrown into the Hudson River, Mr. Bowden dove into the river and pulled the man to safety. The officer survived a serious case of hypothermia, and was able to attend a dinner held by Mr. Koch in his honor.  

The couple raised their two children, Kelly and Sean, in Riverdale, where he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 95. 

His son Sean recalled his father’s love of music; Mr. Bowden, who played the flute and was recently learning to play guitar, could listen to a song on television and play it note-for-note on his organ afterwards. He was an avid reader who enjoyed science fiction and history.

He loved fishing, often traveling to City Island with his children to fish as they were growing up. In later years, he spent time on his own fishing on trips to Maine. 

But Sean said his true passion lay in the volunteer work he took up after his retirement from the NYPD in 1991. 

Along with volunteering at the Bronx Zoo — Mr. Bowden loved animals — he worked as a counselor at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Yonkers, after completing his certification at Lehman College, focusing on patients in the drug addiction treatment center. 

“It was his calling at the end,” his son said. “He went above and beyond to help patients.” 

He was a close friend of his boss at St. Joseph’s, Steve. After his father’s death, Steve told Sean that the staff at St. Joseph’s had thanked Mr. Bowden for helping so many patients over the years. 

Mr. Bowden responded, “No, they’ve helped me.” 

His son remembers him as a man who put his friends, family and those he worked with before himself. 

“I think what he wanted was to bond with people,” he said. 

Mr. Bowden is survived by his son Sean, daughter Kelly, wife Nancy and three cousins, Patsy, Kate and Danny Bowden. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday at St. Margaret of Cortona Church.

His family suggested donations be made to www.woundedwarriorsproject.org in lieu of flowers. 

Obituary, Tim Bowden, NYPD, St. Joseph's Hospital