Gene Bowman, an icon in wrestling, dies at 88
Mention the name “Gene” to most living in Canonsburg, and they knew who you were talking about.
Gene Bowman.
He was an icon in this area’s wrestling world, a three-time WPIAL champion who graduated from Canonsburg High School in 1947 and one of the founding fathers of the dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
The 88-year-old Bowman died Tuesday in Canonsburg General Hospital.
“Put in there that he was a good man,” said former Trinity head coach Joe Shook through tears. “He was a great friend of mine. He was one of the finest persons I’ve ever known.”
Bowman led the Wrestling Classic for 25 years before turning it over to Frank Vulcano, Canon-McMillan’s athletic director and head of the WPIAL Wrestling Steering Committee.
“Gene and Manny Pihakis and all those guys out there were Canonsburg wrestling,” said Vulcano. “Gene meant a lot to the sport. He directed the Wrestling Classic for 25 years and it is the Rose Bowl of wrestling.”
Bowman was a state runner-up in 1947, losing in the finals by referee’s decision to Don Maurey of Clearfield at 120 pounds.
“He told me he had 88 1/2-years of a great life,” Shook said. “He said, ‘I did what I wanted to do. I had fun.’
“He was one of the greatest persons they had in their community. He was never the mayor. He was just a great person.”
Bowman was an assistant coach at Waynesburg University and Canon-McMillan and head coach at Chartiers-Houston.
Chris Mary, head coach at Canon-McMillan when the Big Macs won five state team titles in three seasons, said he remembers Bowman sitting in the stands for those matches, wearing his trademark cowboy hat.
“I’ll never forget the call I got from him that I had been picked for the Wrestling Classic in 1984,” said Mary. “He was an icon. We lost a legend today.”
Mary said Bowman was entertaining, regaling whoever was present with stories of the past.
“Me, my brother Phil, Sam Romano, we looked up to these guys,” said Mary. “There will never be another Gene Bowman. Gene was so liked by everybody.”
Mary said wrestling is a close-knit sport and that those who participate in it are part of a brotherhood.
“Our wrestling family is so tight,” Mary said, “and Gene was the father.”