Obituary of Terence "Terry" Bruce Bitowf
Terence “Terry” Bruce Bitowf, born November 11, 1959, to Bruce and Flo Bitowf in Paterson, NJ, died on Thursday, March 7, 2019 in Conroe, Texas.
Terry was preceded in death by his father, Bruce Bitowf, his paternal grandparents Charles and Edythe (Maley) Bitowf, and maternal grandparents Albert and Marie (Heisler) Van Eerde.
Terry is survived by his wife Judy Burgess-Bitowf, step-son Tyge Burgess, step-son Philip and wife Kristen (Legge) Burgess and grand-daughter Hannah. Terry is survived by his mother Flo (Van Eerde) Bitowf and sister Cindy (Bitowf) Palmer and husband Ken Palmer. He is also survived by his aunt Judy (Van Eerde) and husband Marty, their daughter Claudine Armellino and husband Pete, their children and grandchildren, and other aunts, uncles, cousins and grand-cousins in northern and southern New Jersey, New York and North Carolina.
Terry grew up in Hawthorne, NJ, graduated from Paterson Catholic High School and New Jersey Institute of Technology with degrees in Nuclear and Mechanical Engineering. He played baseball and football in parks and on teams, and had the distinction of the most broken bones for one person in his community. He was an avid NY Giants fan, and was usually wearing a hat or shirt with the team logo. After college, Terry worked for Southern Company, Birmingham, AL in the nuclear power industry, NUS Nuclear Energy Consultants in Washington DC and Columbia, Maryland, and General Public Utilities at their corporate offices and nuclear power stations TMI and Oyster Creek as a risk management specialist. He continued with GPU after their acquisition by First Energy, working as a Senior Analyst in Reading, PA. At the time of his passing, he was employed by Entergy, Inc., in The Woodlands, TX as the Manager of EWC Financial Services.
Terry had a life-long love for dogs, and truly was a dog-whisperer. All dogs responded to his gentle presence and ability to compassionately mold them into their best selves. Over the years, he and his wife adopted many rescue dogs, and were active volunteers with Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Reinholds, PA. Terry also loved roses and strove to create a beautiful rose garden in TX, which is a feat given the climate and soil of the Houston area. Terry was a parishioner at Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Parish in TX, a member of Knights of Columbus Council 6557, and a member of the American Red Cross Emergency/Disaster Management Team at the Parish. He was the night shift manger of the rescue shelter there during Hurricane Harvey. He also attended St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Humble, TX.
Terry’s legacy was his care and compassion for all beings in need. He was a Big Brother for Joe, who was blind. He organized activities for his friend and her children to parks, zoos, and New York City. He opened his home to a family friend and her 5 children during a time of transition for them. He gave homes to cats and dogs abandoned and neglected, volunteered at Best Friend Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, and supported local and national charities for the welfare of the environment and wildlife. He loved to volunteer at Loaves and Fishes Kitchen in Houston, feeding and counseling with the homeless, and donated to charities serving adults and children in need.
A Vigil will be held at Sts. Simon and Jude Parish, 26777 Glen Loch Drive, The Woodlands, TX, 77381 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday March 25, 2019, and the Mass of the Resurrection at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday March 26, 2019. Memorial Services will be held in Hawthorne, NJ at St. Anthony’s Parish, 276 Diamond Bridge Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ 07506, at 11:00 a.m. Friday, March 29, 2019, followed by a reception at Bottagra Restaurant, 80 Wagaraw Road, Hawthorne.
Donations may be made to Sts. Simon and Jude Parish, St. Mary Magdalene Parish, St. Anthony’s Parish, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah.
