She was married to John Bowen, captain of an AT&T ship that laid undersea cables.
[1] Bowen played a role in founding the Seattle Art Museum (SAM)[citation needed] and many other important artistic institutions.
[1] Seattle Art Museum gives an annual Betty Bowen Award in her honor.
[3] The small Marshall Park, about a block from where she lived,[citation needed] features the Betty Bowen Viewpoint with a view over Smith Cove, Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
There are several unsigned works cast in the concrete walkway by the viewpoint; contributing artists include Morris Graves, Margaret Tomkins, Victor Steinbrueck, Guy Anderson, Kenneth Callahan and Charles Stokes.