Susan Howard Bowering

BOWERING, Susan (Sue) Howard, née Steeve, passed away peacefully at home in Woodlawn on August 11, 2025, in her 83rd year.

Sue was the beloved wife of Kenneth (Ken) Bowering and loving mother of Richard (Rich) Rounds (Theresa) and Brian Bowering (Manon). She was predeceased by her loving son, Steven Bowering on October 31, 1991, by her mother and father, Mary Adams Steeve and Dr. John Howard Steeve (Commander, Ret’d, USN Medical Corps), 1977 and 1983 respectively, and her sister, Joan Constance (Connie) Weatherly.

Sue was born at US Naval Hospital, Parris Island, South Carolina on March 10, 1943 and moved around the United States living in Beaufort, SC, Bethesda, MD, Brooklyn, NY, San Diego, CA, Pensacola, FL, Honolulu, HI (US Naval Base Pearl Harbor), and Charleston, SC. She graduated from Escambia High School in Pensacola in 1961 just prior to her family moving to Honolulu.

While living in Honolulu (1961 to 1964) she enrolled in the University of Hawaii, gave birth to her first-born son, Rich, who she had to put up for adoption, and graduated from the Honolulu Business College. Always an animal lover, she bought her first horse while living in Hawaii.

In September 1963 she attended a cocktail party aboard the visiting Canadian destroyer HMCS Fraser where she met Ken, which marked the start of a life-long love affair. With her parents, she returned to the US mainland in 1964, settling briefly in Charleston, SC before she and Ken were married (December 1964).

Her fondness for animals meant that, at many of the places they lived, she always had animals around the house though it wasn’t until Sue and Ken settled in Woodlawn, ON that she raised horses, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and poodles.

Sue successfully bred and showed Miniature Poodles under her permanently registered Subria kennel name for over 25 years, and many of her dogs went on to get their Canadian and US championships and titles in obedience and agility. She was a member of the Ottawa Kennel Club (OKC) and was a founding member of the Ottawa Valley Poodle Club (OVPC) where she served in numerous capacities on the Club’s executive, including a term as its President.

Another of Sue’s hobbies was raising and showing orchids, and she did this for over 30 years. She was a member of the Ottawa Orchid Society, the Venice (Florida) Orchid Society, and the Sarasota Orchid Society. Her specialties were Phalaenopsis and Cattleya Orchids and, at times, she had as many as 200 plants. Wherever Ken (or Sue) travelled, if it was to a humid region (Florida, California, Hawaii), he was obliged to look out for unique orchid “bloodlines” and bring them back to her.

Sue is survived by Ken, her husband of 60 years, her first-born son, Rich, her son Brian, her granddaughter Mackenzie (Kenzie) Rounds, grandsons Ethan and Patrick Bowering, brothers-in-law Bill (Patricia) and Robert (Lillian) Bowering, and many nieces and nephews in Canada and in the US.

Cremation has taken place. There will be a private service in Woodlawn and a Celebration of Sue’s Life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.