Harvey W. Bowles Jr.

Harvey W. Bowles, Jr., former University of Toledo wrestling coach and member of the UT Athletic Hall of Fame, died on March 11, 2026, at Toledo Hospital, of respiratory failure. He was 84.

A born athlete, Harvey excelled at Whitmer High School, where at 17 he began a lifelong friendship with fellow wrestler Dick Torio. After graduating from the University of Toledo, he opened the Women’s Health Club next to Torio’s. He served as head wrestling coach at the University of Toledo from 1974 to 1994 and was vice president at the APRN company for more than 30 years.

Known as a legendary storyteller with a sharp wit and an equally quick sarcastic comeback, Harvey entertained friends for decades with tales that grew slightly more colorful with each retelling. Beneath his playful edge lay a deeply compassionate heart and the spirit of a fighter. He married Judy Grosjean, also a University of Toledo graduate, in November 1966. In January 2011, he survived a cardiac arrest, a testament to his resilience.

Harvey was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Janet Bowles, and his sister-in-law Sharon Grosjean and brother-in-law Marty Grosjean. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Judy Bowles, and his sister Judi (Tad) Owen. In his later years he was lovingly supported by his caregiver Kimberley Wodarski and “Rent-A-Kid” Kathleen Rupp-Remley.