Daisy Bowen

Daisy Ho Bowen, 85, of Diamond Bar, California, passed away on January 2, 2026, of natural causes. Her optimism and sunny disposition brought joy to all she touched.

Daisy was born on April 14, 1940, in the Republic of China, to Shihjing “Freeman” Ho, the son of a merchant, and Frances Wong, the daughter of a Methodist minister. Freeman lost his parents to opium at a young age. Placed in an American Methodist orphanage in Nanchang, he met Frances, fell in love, and after studies abroad at the University of Illinois, returned to Nanchang, where he and Frances wed.

The fifth of six children, Daisy was born in Guilin but spent her childhood on the move from one city to another, fleeing at first the Imperial Japanese Army and later the People’s Liberation Army. Tired of life on the move and fearful of the impending fall of the Nationalists, in 1949 the Ho family sold what remained of their possessions and started life anew in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, Daisy found her footing—attending school, making friends, and even singing on the radio. By 1960, her father secured passage for Daisy, her three sisters (Nancy, Lucy, and Aggie), and her brother Henry aboard the SS President Wilson, bound for America.

Daisy settled in Baldwin City, Kansas, where she attended Baker University and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. While there, she met Ronald Bowen of Plymouth, Indiana, a graduate student in chemistry. The two married in 1965.

Marriage brought Daisy a period of rootedness after a childhood defined by movement. Together, she and Ronald raised two sons, Rick and Robert, and made their home in Placentia, California, where Daisy spent many years building a life centered on family, friendship, and quiet routine.

During those years, Daisy formed friendships through the American Association of University Women. What began as an AAUW “gourmet group” grew into a close circle of couples who gathered regularly for shared meals, celebrations, and conversation—friendships that endured for decades and became the cornerstone of her social world.

Daisy also traveled the globe. She and Ronald vacationed in Hawaii and Alaska, and journeyed abroad to Turkey, Fiji, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Daisy also returned to China twice, reuniting with family left behind and seeing her hometown once more. These journeys remained among her fondest memories.

Daisy also took pleasure in the rhythms of daily life. She enjoyed a few hands of bridge each evening after dinner, a ritual she maintained for many years. She walked each day without fail—on lunch breaks, around the neighborhood, and later, after retiring to San Marcos, around a lake near her home. In retirement, Daisy also volunteered weekly at the Escondido Public Library. Through these routines—bridge games, daily walks, and volunteer work—Daisy became a familiar and welcome presence, known to all simply as a kind and gentle soul.

In later years, Daisy came to see herself as a steward of family connection. After the passing of her sister Lucy, she took on the role of keeping the Ho family together—maintaining traditions, organizing gatherings, and ensuring that bonds across generations endured.

In 2017, Daisy suffered a stroke that left her cognitively impaired and reliant on full-time care. After Ronald’s passing in 2022, she moved to Diamond Bar, California, to be closer to family, where she spent her final years surrounded by care and familiar presence.

Daisy is survived by her two sons and her three grandsons.

Throughout her life, Daisy met hardship with grace and chose optimism over complaint. Those who knew her remember her warmth, her calm, and her steady good humor. When she spoke of her life, she did so lightly, often with a smile—leaving behind not a story of struggle, but one of quiet joy.