01/15/2025
Norma “Chicky” A. (Ferland) Bowie passed away at the age of 73 on January 8, 2025 at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, NH due to complications from recent surgery. She was with her daughter at the time of her passing.
Chicky was born September 27, 1951 at Claremont General Hospital in Claremont NH to George L. Ferland & Gilberta L. (St. Pierre) Ferland. She graduated from St. Mary’s high school in Claremont. She went on to complete cosmetology schooling in Manchester, NH.
Chicky spent the subsequent 34 years serving Claremont and surrounding communities at her hair salon: Chicky’s Beauty Coop on Red Water Brook Rd. Her clients became close friends & family to her, and they felt the same of her. Chicky’s Beauty Coop was not just a hair salon but a place of laughter, friendship, and the kind of therapy you only get with your hairdresser! Her clients brought her much joy and camaraderie over the years as she saw them get married, grow their families, welcome grandchildren and mourn losses. After moving on from The Beauty Coop, Chicky spent several years working for Connecticut Valley & Lake Sunapee Visiting Nurses where she continued to care for her community in their homes as a homemaker. Each of them hold a special place in her heart. Many a holiday she’d put together plates and deliver a holiday meal, complete with a slice of pie, to those who didn’t have family close by.
If you’d met Chicky, even for a mere moment, you felt the joy and positivity that naturally exuded from her. Her laugh was contagious, and her dance moves were ones that only John Travolta himself (think Saturday Night Fever) could have kept up with! However, dancing was her second love: her first and forever love has always been the beach: lake beaches, ocean beaches, ALL the beaches! Her favorite was walking York Beach in Maine with her friend, Denise Bowie Thomas. Denise would vacation every summer at York and Chicky would join her for a day or so to walk the beach, feel the waves, swim in that cold ocean and enjoy some penuche fudge. When she wasn’t at the beach, or on the dance floor, she was probably working on a puzzle or a picture collage. She loved looking at old photos and sharing some with family and friends when she came upon “good” ones, as she’d say. She could play a mean game of Canasta and beat her daughter at many games of Scrabble. And she never said no to a good game of bingo! But the most joy she had was when she got to see and spend time with her granddaughter, Eleanor. Being a Mémère was her most precious role in life, and it absolutely suited her.
If you didn’t know Chicky from The Beauty Coop or the Visiting Nurses Associations, you probably encountered her at one of her several volunteer gigs over the years. Chicky was active in the Claremont Moose Lodge and Claremont Eagle’s clubs when they were active. She also spent a lot of time volunteering with the Sullivan County Humane Society in Claremont NH. She loved every kitty she met there while cleaning. And she loved volunteering for crowd control at their low-cost rabies clinics. Her laugh could be heard inside while she was outside keeping those waiting in line entertained! Here, we speak of that laugh again. People would be in line, on a cold rainy April morning, waiting to bring their dog/cat in for a rabies shot and she’d be outside cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing. No matter what, Chicky found and shared humor in everything and with everyone.
Chicky spent her last 2 weeks recovering from hip & leg surgery, being cared for by the staff at the Sullivan County Health Care facility in Unity NH. There, she felt fortunate that she was able to see her nephews Derek Ferland & Phillip Perry almost daily, and for the help they provided her at the facility. If you were lucky enough to know Chicky, you know she fell in love with all the staff and her care team there. She was extremely thankful for the care and compassion she received from them.
Chicky was predeceased by her parents, George & Gilberta (St. Pierre) Ferland, three brothers, Renè Ferland, Norman Ferland & Denis Ferland, as well as three nephews, Adam Ferland, Norman Perry and Russell Perry, and a great nephew, Sam Ferland Seamons.
She is survived by her husband, Howard A. Bowie Jr, her son, Howard A. Bowie III, her granddaughter Eleanor T. Bowie, and her daughter, Sara J. (Bowie) Svendsen. She is also survived by her siblings, and many nieces and nephews as follows: Her sister Murielle (Ferland) Fowler and her children Phillip Perry, Daniel McLellan, Kate (Tardiff) Rochon and Peter Hall. Her sister Jeanne (Ferland) Leavitt, her husband John Leavitt and their children Jeffrey Leavitt and Jason Leavitt. Her brother Bernard Ferland and his wife Rebecca Ferland and their children Bradley Ferland, Brent Ferland, Jennifer (Ferland) Seamons and Jeanne (Ferland) Yamash*ta. Her brother, Louis Ferland & his wife Nancy and their son, Spencer Ferland. Her brother Renè’s children: Renè Ferland Jr, Scott Ferland and Aimee Ferland. Her brother Denis’s children: Denis Ferland Jr, James Ferland, Christopher Ferland, Gabriel Ferland and Jan Ferland. Her brother Norman’s sons: Derek Ferland and Kirk Ferland.
To respect Chicky’s wishes, there will not be services. Her wishes to be cremated are being fulfilled through Stringer’s Funeral Home in Claremont NH. Her children will bring Chicky back to her favorite ocean spot this spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation in her memory to help the rescue kitties at the Sullivan County Humane Society, PO Box 111, Claremont NH 03743. May the memories of Chicky and her laughter bring peace to those who know and love her. We shall not use the past tense here. A heart as large as Chicky’s, and a life as impactful as hers to so many, will live on in those that have the privilege of knowing her.