Heidi Lape Bowie passed away peacefully Sunday, April 12 at the age of 64 with her beloved mini golden-doodle, Pippa, by her side.
Born on April 17, 1961 in Philadelphia, PA, Heidi was the beloved daughter Dr. I. Samuel Lape and Dorothy “Dody” Thompson Lape. Her big sisters, Lindsay and Kris, and her little brother, Tom, rounded out the family. Lape family lore was one of Heidi’s favorite conversation topics. The bowl cuts the three sisters rocked, the patients her OBGYN father compassionately cared for pro bono, the chores (oh, the endless times Samantha, Gabby, and Marcus had to hear about her childhood chores!), the countless horse shows/tennis matches/swim meets, family trips based around her dad’s love of fishing, LOTS of pets, Dody’s love for fashion and her pioneering style, and nightly family dinners during which Heidi would stuff her vegetables into the pockets of her apron (the dinner uniform for Lape kids). Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Heidi was known as a triple threat amongst peers: the prettiest, the smartest, the funniest. Homecoming queen, straight-A student, stellar swimmer and equestrian. She followed her father into the medical field and she followed her mother into the field of “most stylish mom to ever do it”. But what she truly followed both of them into was the art of making whoever was standing in front of them know that they mattered. Heidi felt she hit the jackpot with her parents and her family is finding a lot of peace knowing she ran right into their arms on Sunday.
Heidi spent two years at Penn State University before transferring to Boston University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked as a Labor and Delivery Nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, KY until moving to Lake Oswego, OR, West Orange, NJ and Brentwood, CA. She was the ultimate NBA wife- she was support, compassion, and loyalty in human form.
Next came the true joys of her life: the arrivals of Samantha, Gabrielle, and Marcus. No one “mom’d” quite like Heidi Bowie. From the moments they were born, she reminded them daily that God would see them through whatever life brought them. She taught them that no one was better than them and that they were better than no one. She was unconditional love in the flesh. She never ended a conversation or walked out the door without letting them know how much she loved them and how proud she was of them. She lost count of the times that Samantha would inform her about a school project at 6pm the night before the due date. With a quick eye roll, Heidi put a smile on her face and would speed off to Michael’s Arts and Crafts store with Samantha and begin many a late night of mother/daughter school project crafting. Gabby would feel so proud of the outfit and heels that Heidi would wear strutting into Gabby’s high school basketball games causing an entire gymnasium of faces to stare in awe. (Typically, these entrances would occur close to halftime but we won’t discuss Heidi’s tardiness any further than this :). Marcus became his mom’s forever dancefloor partner at countless weddings and celebrations. And their shared sweet tooth more often than not had them ending the nights stocking up on Reese’s and ice cream at the nearest drugstore.
Heidi spent two and a half decades putting her heart and soul into childrearing. There were swim meets, golf and tennis lessons, soccer and basketball games, trips to visit Grammy and Grampa on Marco Island, horse shows showing American Saddlebreds and Hackney ponies, a stint owning a pie shop called Phat Pies, amazing homecooked meals never involving an actual recipe. There were field trips as parent chaperone and there were groundings and taking phones away (mostly for Gabby). There were college visits, college move-ins, college graduations. She coached each kid through their first jobs. She coached each kid through life.
Once the kids flew the coop, Heidi surprised none of them by remaining their biggest cheerleader as they navigated early adulthood. Every new friend they made brought yet another “Your mom is the coolest. I’ve never met another person like her”. She was quirky and weird in the best, kindest way.
In 2021, Heidi gained a new cherished title of “Goldie” when she became a grandmother for the first time. Her favorite place in the world to be was on a couch with a newborn snoozing, draped across her chest. She loved Benji and Dory with her entire being and her youthful, silly energy would have them in awe and giggles. They were robbed of so much time with her but will be encouraged the rest of their lives to love and treat people the way their Goldie did.
Throughout her life, Heidi battled addiction. She fought long and hard and packed more goodness into her healthy periods than most do in a lifetime. While this disease shaped parts of her journey, it never defined the fullness of who she was. She was so much more than her struggles- she was a loving daughter, a devoted sister, the proudest mother, a thoughtful friend, a source of kindness to anyone and everyone. She was ALWAYS the first one to show up for a family member facing challenging times. Her heart was simply too big for this world.
Heidi is survived by her three children Samantha, Gabrielle, and Marcus, her favorite son-in-law, Damon, her prized grandchildren Benjamin and Dorothy, her sisters Lindsay (Dave) and Kris (Steven), her brother Tom (Kim), her beloved cousins Rich (Beth) and George (Vicki), and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She is also survived by a host of friends that turned to family.
In honoring her life, the family encourages acts of kindness in her memory- helping a stranger, offering support to someone in need, or extending compassion to those who are struggling. These small acts reflect the way she lived her life.
