DR. BOWEN aka Bo or B.R. RAYDO LEONARD, JR

Bo was born March 7, 1926 in Houston, TX to Ora Essie and Bowen Raydo Leonard Sr. He was a noted and published Nuclear physicist, working at Hanford Labs, General Electric, from 1952 – 1965 until his retiring as a Senior Staff Scientist in 1990 from Northwest Pacific Labs/Battelle after Battelle had replaced GE. He traveled extensively throughout his career, meeting with fellow Physicists in Russia, Europe, Japan and throughout the United States. Bo was a fellow of the American Physical Society and belonged to the American Association of Physics Teachers.

After graduating from Austin High School in El Paso, Texas in 1942, he joined the U.S. Army Air Force where he reached the rank of Corporal. He graduated from the Texas College of Mines, El Paso, with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947. He received his Masters of Science degree in 1949 and his PhD in 1952 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

His loving wife Delores survives Bo as well as his children Susan Smith of Kennewick, John Yale and Jim Mullens of Curlew, Bowen Leonard III and wife Jan of Mukilteo, Linda DeWall and Sandy Mathes of Shelton, and Cheryl Yale and Patti Kacz of Rainier. He is also survived by his sister Jeanne Claire Miller and husband Bob, his brothers, Jim Leonard, John Leonard and wife Lou, his sister in law Gayla Baird, and brother in law Charlie Raffety and wife Bev, his grandchildren Laura Rogers of Puyallup, Wendy Smith of Richland, Michael Smith of Benton City, Clinton Smith of Richland, Faedra Smith of Kennewick, Krysta Wolfe and husband Buddy of Olympia and his great grand children, Andrew and Brandon Rogers, Lexus Edwards and various nephews and nieces.

Bo was a true cowboy and gentleman who loved riding his horses. In the summers of his youth, when he wasn’t working for his father as a glazier for Pittsburgh Plate Glass, he worked breaking and training horses and enjoyed attending and riding rodeo.

He loved bird hunting with his dogs. Bo was exceptionally talented with a shotgun, and was a lifetime member of the NRA. He spent much of his summers with his family, outsmarting trout on Badger Lake. He enjoyed golfing and was quite proud of his hole-in-one at the Tri City Country Club.

Memorial services will be held at a later date.

The family has asked that donations be made either to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Rosetta Assisted Living, 1208 West 11th PL., Kennewick, WA 99337, Activity Fund, Attn: Shirley.