Pat Bowlen is a well-known businessman from the popular Bowlen Family – the majority owners of the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos which was founded by Edgar Kaiser in 1959 as an American Football League club was later bought in 1984 by the Bowlen family for $78 million.
Pat was the CEO of the franchise from 1984 to 2014 when he had to step aside following his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. During his thirty years as CEO, Broncos recorded 307 victories with just five losing seasons, won the AFC titles two times and two Super Bowls.
What has become of the successful businessman, did he lose the battle against Alzheimer’s disease? Scroll to find answers.
Pat Bowlen Biography
Pat’s full name is Patrick Dennis Bowlen. The renowned businessman was born on February 18 in the year 1944, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to Arvella and Paul Dennis Bowlen. His father was also a well-known businessman in the Canadian oil business. The business is now managed by Pat’s brother John.
Bowlen is an alumnus of Campion Jesuit Catholic High School and of the University of Oklahoma where he earned degrees in business and law in 1965 and 1968 respectively. After graduation, Pat worked as a lawyer in Edmonton, Alberta, (he owned his own law firm) before working as an executive in his father’s company, then as a real estate developer. He also invested heavily in the mining industry before setting out to start up his own business.
Denver Broncos Ownership, Other Ventures
He became CEO of Denver Broncos after purchasing it from the original owner Edgar Kaiser, in 1984 for $78 million. The franchise was in an ownership battle with the former owner of the club between 1999 to 2008.
In 1998, Bowlen resorted to selling a share in the team to John Elway (retired football legend) without letting Kaiser know. When he (Kaiser) found out, he sued Pat, accusing him of a breach of contract, stating that he had every right to refuse any decision made about the ownership of the franchise.
A federal court in 2004 ruled in his favor, stating that Kaiser has the right to buy back 10% of the team, using the purchase terms offered to him. Bowlen objected to this decision, appealed, and won in 2008.
After Bowlen stepped down as Denver Broncos’ CEO, Joe Ellis who is the team’s top decision-maker, for now, stepped into his shoes, piloting the team and representing the Broncos at NFL meetings.
Besides the Broncos, Pat Bowlen co-owns the Colorado Crush alongside sports mogul Stan Kroenke and retired football legend John Elway. The Denver sports megastar also co-owner professional men’s field lacrosse team – The Denver Outlaws.
Pat Bowlen has been honored with so many awards including Super Bowl champion (thrice), the Broncos Ring of Fame (2015), the Steinfeld Cup champion (twice), the ArenaBowl XIX champion, and the Colorado Business Hall of Fame(2015).
For 19 years, he served as the Honorary Chairman of the Colorado Special Olympics, he was also the Honorary Chairman of the Stadium Stampede.
He is born a Roman Catholic and is also a humanitarian. His charity group recently raised over a million dollars for the Catholic Capuchin ministries to Denver’s poor and homeless.
Is Pat Bowlen Dead?
No, Pat Bowlen isn’t dead. The Denver Broncos owner recently celebrated his 74th birthday.
Pat Bowlen’s Family – Wife, Daughters, And Sons
Bowlen has been married to Annabel Bowlen for over 35 years and together they have five children – two sons and three daughters, namely Patrick Bowlen III and John Bowlen Jr., Brittany, Annabel, and Christiana.
Pat’s children were actively involved with the Denver Broncos. His oldest son Patrick (named after him) was and still remains the team’s Director of Facilities.
His second son John was the team’s former marketing personnel who worked at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. He seems to have resigned from the position and currently pursuing other ventures. John was a defensive back at the University of San Diego but had to give up football because of an injury he sustained. He holds an MBA in sports and entertainment from the University of Denver.
Brittany worked as a business analyst in the team’s finance department for ten months before leaving to pursue a master’s degree at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She has a B.A in business from the University of Notre Dame. Annabel was a student at the University of Colorado Denver, not much is known about his youngest daughter Christianna.
Pat has two other daughters (Jane Elizabeth “Beth” Bowlen Wallace and Amie Bowlen Klemmer) from his marriage to Sally Parker.
Jane was the team’s director of special projects and events before she left to pursue a law degree at the University of Denver. His second daughter with Parker. Amie Bowlen Klemmer lives in Hawaii.
