Bernice Owens Bozeman, 94 years young, went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 9, 2018 in Houston, Texas.  She was affectionately called “Mrs. B” by her family and friends as well as “Gabba” which was a name given to her by one of her grandchildren.  When she was a young girl, her dad and sister nicknamed her “Pinky” because of the pink pajamas she wore.  She loved having so many nicknames because she knew each one was given to her out of love.  She was born January 18, 1923 in Houston, Texas and was very proud to be a native Houstonian.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Leona Owens, her sister Dorothy Connor, and her husband of 62 years, John F. Bozeman, Jr.  Gabba leaves behind her three loving and incredible daughters:  Deborah Perry (Paul), Carolyn Hansen (Eric), and Barbara Nelson (Steve). She also leaves six amazing grandchildren and ten adorable great-grandchildren. 

She grew up in the Heights and graduated from Reagan High School where she met and fell in love with her future husband, John.  She was voted and crowned “Most Beautiful” at Hamilton Junior High School and then again while at Reagan High School.  After graduating, she attended University of Houston and was a member of Pi Delta Sorority, now known as Alpha Chi Omega, where she was very involved in their Alumni activities for years.  She had a tremendous love for her country and did a great deal of volunteering for the Republican Party who she supported up until her death.  She and John were active members of Memorial Drive Methodist Church for many years where she taught Sunday School.  She also was a Girl Scout Troop Leader and cherished the time she spent with the girls.  When John opened his own oil well service business, she worked as a one-girl office manager where she answered phones, prepared invoices, and handled the administrative duties necessary to run a successful company.   She was a very energetic and self-driven woman and accomplished so much while also giving so much of herself to others.

Mrs. B loved to spend time with people and she never met a stranger.  Her warm smile and magnetic personality attracted others to where they wanted to spend time with her and get to know her better.   She had a way of sprinkling love and sunshine on everyone she met, and five minutes with her could turn anyone around that was having a bad day.  Her absolutely greatest love of all was spending time with her family – especially when all four generations could come together at the same time.  Even though they are spread out between Texas and California, they all worked hard to come together when they could.  They would throw her the most fabulous birthday parties that lasted for an entire weekend.  They made sure the parties had all her favorite things:  lots of great food, a nice supply of red wine, great music, and even a little dancing from time to time.  She was definitely quite the dancer and she could “cut a rug” and make everyone else look bad on the dance floor.   Now, Mrs. B did have one teeny-tiny vice…..her love for chocolate!  You could tell how much she enjoyed it as she carefully would unwrap a piece of it, place it in her mouth, smile, close her eyes for a second or two as though she was in complete heaven, and then savor it until it completely dissolved.  

If anyone should ever wonder what a true southern matriarch is, the answer would absolutely be Mrs. B.  So much so, that Webster’s Dictionary should put her picture and name in it as a synonym.  She was strong and tough (when needed) and also the sweetest and most loving lady God ever put on this earth.  She believed in exceptional manners and followed the rules of etiquette to a “T.”  Even in recent days, she penned thank you notes to anyone that gave her a gift or did even the smallest thing for her.  She was always dressed to perfection and made sure she had the perfect matching accessories from her shoes to her jewelry.  Her hair and makeup were always meticulously done as that’s the only way a true Southern Belle would have it.  She was confident, yet very humble, and she exuded grace in everything she did and everyone she encountered. 

Mrs. B was diagnosed with a mass on her lung in 2016 which grew very rapidly and eventually led to her death.  Throughout her illness, she never once complained nor showed any signs of self-pity.  She maintained herself in the exact fashion as she always had…..full of cheer and life as though nothing had changed.  She also continued to be the Southern matriarch extraordinaire she had always been as well as the glue that held the family together for many years.  She truly was an inspiration to all of her family and everyone that had the honor of knowing her.  She will be terribly

missed by all; however, just knowing she is dancing in Heaven reunited with her husband and other loved ones brings everyone comfort.   2 Timothy 4:7-8 describes her life perfectly, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day……” 

Her Funeral will be held on Monday, January 15th at 10:30am at Cypress Fairbanks Funeral Home, 9826 Jones Road, Houston, Texas with interment following at Forest Park Lawndale, 6900 Lawndale, Houston, Texas.   In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Special Pals or the Houston SPCA in honor of her and her dog Trooper whom she deeply loved.

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