Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Bradford Bowker had spent his adult life as a civil engineer -- from building World War II airstrips in the South Pacific, to constructing towers used for above-ground nuclear blasts at the Nevada Test Site to designing local hotels.
But for the life of him, he could not figure out how the unschooled Indians of the south-central Peruvian village of Machu Picchu built their huge stone homes and other structures.
"It was a mystery to both of us how they did it," Ernestine Bowker, his wife of 43 years, recalled of their visit to the remote site in the Andes Mountains, 50 miles northwest of the divisional capital of Cusco.
"They were so high up on the mountain, they used primitive tools and they did not have engineering degrees, but their architecture really impressed my husband."
Bradford Bowker, a former Navy admiral of the Seabees who helped with the construction designs for the old MGM Grand (now Bally's) and Sam's Town hotel-casinos, has died in Las Vegas. He was 90.
Bowker, who in his later years became a skilled wood sculptor, painter and fly-fisherman, died Friday after a lengthy bout with pancreatic cancer at Nathan Adelson Hospice.
43-year resident
Services were private for the 43-year Las Vegas resident who, following his retirement from Clark County government, spent more than 20 years traveling to South and Central American villages and European capitals.
A native of New Hampshire, Bowker grew up in a small Canadian border town. By age 23, he had earned a degree in civil engineering.
Just before World War II, Bowker was commissioned as a lieutenant and sent to the Philippines and other South Pacific sites to build -- and often rebuild -- airstrips in areas that were not always secured from the enemy.
"He was almost hit several times, but fortunately was never wounded," said Ernestine, noting that her husband was decorated and promoted to rear admiral by war's end.
However, she said, Bradford never talked much about his war exploits except to say that at one point he had 5,000 men under his command.
In 1950, Bowker, then-recently divorced, was working on the construction of a stadium in Denver, when a friend introduced him to Ernestine, who was working in an optical warehouse at the time. Their courtship culminated three years later with a marriage in Colorado.
In 1953, the Bowkers moved to Las Vegas where he got a job with the Atomic Energy Commission constructing the towers for above-ground nuclear testing -- a practice which was banned in 1963.
"He was pretty close to the bombs when they went off -- within 10 miles I'd guess," Ernestine said.
"Often, he'd be driving home when they went off. During those explosions, the chandeliers would shake and dishes would fall out of the china closets."
In the 1960s, Bowker taught civil engineering locally to students ranging in age from 17 to 54. At that time, he also worked as an engineer for the county.
"He was a terrific guy to be around -- always jolly, always optimistic," said Tom Jarrett, a former county co-worker and longtime friend, who is retired and living in downtown Las Vegas.
"Brad was good with his hands -- an excellent artist, whether painting or carving. For years, he and his wife would go fly-fishing in Colorado. He had taken a course in fly-fishing and tied his own flies."
Dedication paid off
Jarrett said such dedication, even to his hobbies, made Bowker a success at almost everything he tried.
"No matter what the project, Brad went all the way, learning everything he could about it," Jarrett said.
In recent months, Bowker refused to discuss his terminal illness and pending death, telling his wife and others he felt he would recover.
"My husband was the type of man who thought he was going to live forever," Ernestine said. "The things I admired most about him were his warm personality and his positive outlook on life."
In addition to his wife, Bowker is survived by one daughter, Ruth Preuss of Laverne, Tenn.; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Davis Funeral Home, 2127 W. Charleston Blvd., handled the arrangements.
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