David A. Bower, 74, Gettysburg, PA, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Gettysburg Hospital.
He was born June 24, 1951, in Berwick, PA, the son of the late Carl G. and Ruth Ann Sponenberg Bower. David is survived by his wife of 26 years, Marian Taylor-Bower.
David was a 1969 graduate of Berwick High School. He then attended Gettysburg College, and during his junior year, he took time off to travel in England. He returned and graduated in 1975 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Economics. He then entered the family business, General Tank Company in Berwick, a company involved with global logistics of transportation and leasing of large-scale tanks. David was a project manager who traveled for the next 10 years on company business. In 2002, he moved to Fort Pierce, FL, and for the next 7 years was a volunteer for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. In 2009, he returned to Gettysburg to explore his passion for the Civil War and the Gettysburg Battlefield, which he walked almost every day. He had an extensive collection of Civil War books when he added to it with the release of each new Civil War book. For a time he was the Chaplain at Camp Levigne a Boy Scout Camp in Benton, PA, always feeling close to the Boy Scouts due to his status as an Eagle Scout. David loved cats, especially his adopted cat, Ashley, who was his constant companion.
In addition to his wife, David is survived by a son, William Bower and his wife Elizabeth of Royal Oak, MI, two step children; Christopher Redline and his wife Carol of Nescopeck, PA, Autumn Bradford and her husband Carl of Round Rock, TX, five step-grandchildren; Michael Redline, Jibrael Bushongo, Jelani Bradford, Jakobi Bradford, Jaliyah Bradford, two brothers; Dan Bower and his wife Peg and Rick Bower and his companion Elaine Gundersen along with a number of nieces and nephews.
A celebration of David’s life will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Forever Love Cat Rescue, 39 Queen Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325. The family would like to thank all of David’s caregivers who did an exceptional job during his illness. Online obituary and condolences available at monahanfuneralhome.com.