Julia H. Bowers-Body

Julia H. Bowers Body, 96, of Brecknock Twp, passed away on Nov. 23. She was the daughter of Raymond Chandler Heagey and M. Kathryn (Weiler) Heagey and the wife of the late R. William Body.

A Lancaster native, Julia graduated from Manheim Township HS and West Chester University with a BS and MS in education. The majority of her teaching career was at Millersville University, primarily teaching swimming, archery, canoeing and synchronized swimming.

Julia’s lifelong passion was archery. In addition to being a competitor into her 80’s, she also coached and educated people on how to teach archery. Having developed the curriculum, she coordinated the startup of National Archery Assoc certification schools. Julia co-authored the NAA Instructor Manual which has been printed in eight languages. Julia taught instructor courses throughout the US, and in South Africa and in Yugoslavia. From 1974 to 1976, she was a member of the NAA US Olympic Archery Sport Commission. She was a volunteer scorer at the LA Olympic Games, a media coordinator at the Atlanta Olympics and a marshal at the Sydney Olympics. Julia also coached the US Wheelchair team at the Pan-Am Games in Puerto Rico and the US Wheelchair Olympic Archery team in Paris, France. She was a member of the NAA Board of Governors from 1994 to 1997. She participated in the FITA world coaching seminar in Busan, Korea in 2005. In her later years, coaching and mentoring junior archers at the Reading Archery Club brought great joy.

Julia was inducted into the PA Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1985, Coach of the Year for the NAA College Division in 1988 and the National Archery Hall of Fame in 2009. Julia is an 11 time PA State Archery Champion, 8 time Eastern Archery Assoc. Champion and 6 time National Archery Champion plus numerous other victories and records.

Julia was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother Raymond C. Heagey Jr., sister Mary E. Grefe and stepson Ralph Body. She is survived by her children Jennifer Sandmann (Philip), Kathryn Bowers, Jeffrey Bowers (Kathleen), granddaughter Ellen Bowers, stepchildren Bruce Body (Susan), Carey Spencer (Michael), seven step grandchildren and three step great grandchildren.

Services will be private. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be recorded at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com.