Tribute to Nancy Bowman

Nancy Bowman, longtime writer for the Tippecanoe Gazette and Dayton Daily News, passed away on the evening of March 23, 2026. Over the past several days, tributes have poured in from readers and friends of Nancy. Thank you to everyone who has shared their memories of Nancy, her hard work, and her dedication to the craft of journalism. She will be remembered for her objective, fact-based writing and her unflinching desire to bring the truth to the citizens of Dayton and Miami County. 

Below, we share an excerpt from a 2016 story about Nancy’s recognition by the Piqua YWCA; a tribute from The Gazette’s editor, Carla Ungerecht; and memories from readers, local officials, and friends of Nancy.

Greg Enslen, 

Publisher and Owner, Tippecanoe Gazette

An excerpt from the Tippecanoe Gazette’s October 2016 story:

Nancy Bowman selected as 2016 Woman of Excellence

The Piqua YWCA has selected Nancy Bowman as a Woman of Excellence for 2016.

Bowman is known for being an outstanding journalist in Miami County for more than three decades. She is highly regarded by her readers and by local governmental, civic, and business leaders as an excellent “hard news reporter” who can be counted on to get the facts right and maintain the highest level of journalistic integrity.

She began her journalism writing with the student newspaper at Loudonville High School in Ashland County. She continued her writing pursuit at Kent State University. After graduation, she was a writer for the Galion Inquirer and then came to Miami County after her graduation.

Her career began at the Troy Daily News as a reporter, and she rose to the leadership position of managing editor. Today, she is a valued reporter for the Tippecanoe Gazette and for the Troy Tribune, as well as other newspapers. She is also a Communications Specialist for Upper Valley Medical Center.

Her talents are widely known because of her work not only with county government and schools, but also with the arts/culture, and with important fundraising endeavors of many local organizations. Her news reporting has made a difference in many lives and local non-profit groups by raising awareness, according to her nominator, Justin Coby of Health Partners Clinic.

Bowman is a graduate of the Leadership Troy program and later served on its board. She has also been on the board for Brukner Nature Center and is currently on the Troy Dollars for College organization. 

She is married to Terry Burr, who is her top supporter and she said she couldn’t do her work without his support. She also credits her cat, Truman, who keeps her company when she works late at night.

“One of the most remarkable aspects of Nancy’s contribution to our community is how much time and energy she dedicates to being a reporter. She does it because she knows it is necessary to do her job well, said Jim Witmer, a former colleague.

“I have always enjoyed being a journalist,” said Bowman. “I have met many interesting people and covered many interesting stories from the courtroom to public issues of all kinds. While at the Troy Daily News, I had the opportunity to travel, including accompanying Troy’s first delegation to visit its sister city in Takahashi City, Japan, and attending the Republican National Convention in New Orleans.”

Working with Nancy for 16 Years

The news industry lost a great journalist with Nancy’s passing. I had the privilege of working with and being friends with Nancy for almost 16 years. She was dedicated to ensuring that what she reported was accurate, fair, and well researched. 

Nancy was more than a journalist; she had compassion for children, animals, and those in need. She was always generous with her gifts, wanting to make a difference in someone’s life. 

The first time I met Nancy in person was at an LT Ball Christmas Program. During this program, a serviceman was scheduled to surprise his children by coming home for Christmas. The school had hidden him in a large box wrapped in Christmas paper. Nancy and I watched as his children unwrapped the box. I looked over at Nancy at one point and saw tears in her eyes. 

This no-nonsense reporter was emotional many more times over the years. She could be ornery. She loved to dress up for Halloween and hand out boxes of Cracker Jacks. She held people to task when she knew they weren’t providing the information requested. 

What I will miss are the dozens of emails we exchanged daily. Our phone calls would start out with “Can you believe that just happened?” In the past year, her emails and phone calls became less frequent as Nancy needed to focus her energy on her treatment. Her last published story for the Tippecanoe Gazette highlighted the career of the retiring Chief of Emergency Services Cameron Haller. 

My last phone call with her was a week before she passed away. Since I rarely covered stories related to the Miami County court system, she wanted to make sure I understood the protocol. She still insisted on trying to finish a story for me. It is sad that her pen and computer have fallen silent; Nancy still had stories to write. 

I will miss Nancy as a reporter and especially as a friend.

Carla Ungerecht,

Editor, Tippecanoe Gazette

Tributes

The Tippecanoe Gazette reached out to elected officials and community members to share their memories and tributes to Nancy.

“Nancy was a kind and fair reporter who took great care in covering Tipp City. She had a steady presence at City Council meetings throughout my entire career, and I always enjoyed our conversations. Her professionalism and dedication to local journalism will be deeply missed.” 

Eric Mack,

Tipp City City Manager

“The Tipp City Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nancy Bowman. Nancy was always a welcome presence wherever she went, and her fair, fact-based reporting earned the respect of all who knew her. She will be truly missed. We are grateful to the Bowman family for sharing Nancy with our community and giving us the opportunity to know her.”

Tipp City Police Department

“I first met Nancy in January 2022, just after the 2021 election. One of the first questions I asked her was, ‘How long have you been covering Tipp City Council meetings?’ With a quiet chuckle, she replied, ‘Well, for quite some time.’ It didn’t take long to realize just how true that was. On the walls of the Hobart Arena Building in Troy, there is an article dated October 21, 1988, titled ‘Miami Countians Cheer Bush at Troy Rally’ written by Nancy Bowman. That piece is just one example of a career that spanned decades and documented the history of our community with care and consistency. Over the years, presidents have visited our region, county commissioners have come and gone, and countless city council members have taken their seats. Through it all, one constant remained: Nancy Bowman. She was there, faithfully reporting, ensuring that the people of Tipp City and Miami County stayed informed. What set Nancy apart was something increasingly rare these days: trust. Our community knew that when they read a story by Nancy Bowman, they were getting the facts. Not spin, not speculation, only clear, accurate, and honest reporting. In a time when so much of the media landscape is clouded by bias and misinformation, Nancy stood as a reliable voice. She earned the respect of both those she covered and those who read her work. With her passing, Tipp City has lost a trusted voice and dedicated professional. She will be deeply missed by all who have had the privilege of knowing her and relying on her

work.”

Ryan Liddy,

President, Tipp City Council

“My condolences go out to the entire Bowman family. Nancy was a model of what an investigative journalist should be. She always researched each situation and compiled the facts before reporting them publicly. She was what I would call an old-school reporter. She worked tirelessly to make sure she knew the facts. In her reporting, she was fair, balanced, and respected, and she earned that respect through detailed and accurate reporting. She had a stellar career as a journalist. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Nancy for over 40 years. Not only was she a professional journalist, but she was also a dear friend. She will be missed.”

Ted Mercer

Miami County Commissioner

“The loss of Nancy is a blow to the Miami County community. I have known Nancy for over twenty years, and, without a doubt, she proved to be an outstanding and honest reporter. She was diligent in getting to the facts of a story and, at the same time, was always kind and considerate. She will be truly missed.”

Greg Simmons

Miami County Commissioner

“Nancy Bowman lived in this community and cared deeply about it. She earned trust the right way, by listening, by understanding, and by telling the story straight. She was steady, fair, and connected to the people she covered. Nancy made a real difference here, and she will be remembered for the way she served this community with honesty and respect.”

Wade Westfall

Miami County Commissioner 

“I had the privilege of knowing Nancy Bowman for almost my entire law enforcement career. From reporting on all types of crimes, car crashes, public corruption, and public-interest stories, Nancy was the consummate professional. She always reported the facts accurately, clearly, and fairly, which kept all of us informed. Nancy was a trusted reporter by every public safety agency in Miami County. That’s saying something. If I gave her information off the record, usually for background, I could always trust that it would remain off the record. That is not commonplace, especially in the current era of social media ‘reporters.’

Nancy rarely missed the annual law enforcement awards ceremony and covered many other public safety events held throughout the county, showing public safety in a positive light. I could call her on short notice if I needed coverage of a new program we were rolling out, or, for that matter, any public interest story. Without fail, Nancy would get the story covered. She truly cared about her community.

I am a better person for having had the privilege to know and work with Nancy for over three decades. I will miss our conversations and answering her many questions about whatever public safety story she was covering at the moment. We lost a great one.”

Dave Duchak

Sheriff, Miami County Sheriff’s Office

“What a loss for journalism and, specifically, the City of Troy. We felt like Nancy was ‘our’ reporter. We knew she would be thorough but fair every time. I've worked with her since 2011 as a City Council member and for the last six as mayor. Her presence has been missed the last few years as her fight against cancer became more focused. Godspeed, Nancy...you gave it your all, and we appreciated that.”

Robin Oda,

Mayor, Troy, Ohio

“Nancy Bowman took her role as a reporter very seriously, and our community has been blessed by her dedication to objective, balanced and fact-based storytelling. I always looked forward to sharing information with Nancy to pass along to her readers, as I knew she had the attention and respect of our entire community. She was a true journalist. A force for truth and transparency. A pure representation of our country’s First Amendment right to a free press. Our community is better because Nancy served us, and her memory will live on through those of us fortunate to have known her.”

Melissa Nichols,

Miami County Board of Developmental Disabilities

“Nancy was the best reporter I had run into. She was fair and truly caring for her readers. We are all blessed to know her.” 

Doug Slagel,

Former Tipp City Council Member

“Democracy dies in darkness. Nancy Bowman knew that an independent set of eyes watching the machinery of government churn away is vital to keep elected officials accountable. She knew the risks of journalism being marginalized through budget cuts. She lived the reality of those cuts as an employee of the Dayton Daily News. And yet she persevered even when the hours were miserable and the topics could be tedious. She poured over transcripts to find the buried threads of newsworthy content.

Nancy sat through countless hours of Tipp City Board of Education meetings over the years. Some were dramatic. Some were painfully dull. For about eight years, the audience never knew what to expect. But Nancy was there for all of it, reporting on the facts and keeping the sensational drama to a minimum. Several times I thought of her as the grownup in the room. 

I don't think that I would do well playing poker against Nancy. Her face, her body language, none of it gave away what she was thinking. She was an active listener. Her brain was Hoovering up everything around her. But her smile made my day. That's when I felt she was ‘off duty,’ if only for a moment. 

For the many projects we worked on together over the years, I will miss her. She was a regular part of my inbox until just a few months ago. A journalist to the end.”

Heather Bailey

“I met Nancy in the late 1990’s through my volunteer work with Tipp City. I was involved in Tipp Monroe Community Services, the Skate Park Committee, and the Power Plant Reuse Committee. She was following all of those for the Dayton Daily News at the time.
Eventually, I was appointed to the Tipp City Planning Board and, in 2003, to the Tipp City Council. I was also serving on the Tipp City Library Board at that same time.
Nancy covered all of these groups. She attended meetings regularly. Often, she was the only person at our City Council study sessions, except members and staff. She was exceptionally good at capturing the facts of whatever matter we were discussing. We could express ourselves freely and discuss whatever issue we had in front of us candidly and not worry about her articles straying from the facts.
Her writing didn’t express any sort of opinion on her part. I had no idea whether or not she thought something was a good idea or not. She never tried to shape anyone’s thinking about a topic. She had a great poker face, and her writing style allowed the reader to hear what was going on and allow them to reach their own conclusions about the issue.
By being able to relax with her in the room, conversations among the decision makers were more open and honest. And that led to her readers getting a more complete picture of what was going on at the city.
All the elected officials, staff, and board and commission members I knew were fond of Nancy and had immense respect for her professionalism. Again, city residents were well served by her because officials knew their words weren’t going to be twisted, and so we spoke freely, we engaged with her, and we answered her questions when she asked. We knew we were going to be treated fairly and so had nothing to fear.
I was so sad to hear she had passed. Karen and I would see her and her husband at El Sombrero and would chat with them. Hard to believe they’re both gone now.”

Bill Beagle,

Former Ohio State Senator and Tipp City Councilman

“Nancy covered all of the stories with integrity and dignity. She is an example of pure journalism and professionalism.”

Cameron Haller,

Former Tipp City Chief of Emergency Services

“Background: Nancy and I have been friends for more than 25 years. I worked with Nancy for 19 of those years, first as fellow reporters at the Dayton Daily News (2000-2012), and later as colleagues on Premier Health's communications team (2016-2023). 

We have lost a legend of Miami County journalism, and so soon after losing another in Steve Baker. Nancy was dedicated to the craft of journalism. Her commitment to providing that essential underpinning of democracy right here in our county, her adopted home, was second to none. She always strove for fairness, always did her homework, always made sure she had the details right. And Nancy always, always had the scoop.

On a personal level, I will miss not only Nancy's bylines, but also our off-the-record conversations about her adventures in journalism, her sense of humor, and hearing about her cats and other loved ones. She and her husband, Burr, are reunited now. No doubt they're bringing a certain 'Statler and Waldorf' vibe to heaven."

Ben Sutherly

“Miami County lost a true legend with the passing of Nancy Bowman. Whenever anyone in our area was asked, ‘Who is the best newspaper journalist?’ the unanimous answer was always, ‘Nancy Bowman.’

Whenever any of us were working a story with Nancy, we all, I believe, worked a little harder to make certain that our work would compare to Nancy’s. I had the privilege of working with Nancy, going back to the Troy Daily News days. There was never a more respected person than Nancy Bowman. I am proud to have been able to call her my friend.”

Mike Ullery

“When I think about the early years of my career in journalism, I will always think about spending time with Nancy and learning from one of the best. I feel so lucky to have gotten to know her.”

Cecilia Fox

“I always enjoyed reading the articles Nancy authored, but the one that means the most to me is the one she wrote about my parents. Soon after they passed away, just a couple of days apart in 2016, Nancy wrote a wonderful article about them. She even interviewed several former members of their 4-H club for the article. What a gem Nancy was in the crown of our community!”

Eve Cusac-Seale

“Nancy was always a lovely person to me. She was curious about everything and always did her research for her writings. She was a shining light for journalism and for being a good person. She will be missed!”

Aimee Shannon 

“Nancy was one awesome lady, and she was such a professional in her job making sure she stated facts. She approached me about doing an article about my nonprofit, Little Kindness, in my first years of existence, and I felt so honored for her to do so.

Pamela Carney Hale”