Mike Bowling

J. Michael (Mike) Bowling, Ph.D., 71, of Chapel Hill, NC passed away peacefully on Friday, August 15, 2025. He was born on February 13, 1954, the son of the late Margaret and Bill Bowling. Mike grew up in Zebulon, NC where he met and fell in love with his wife of fifty-two years, Denise Christopher Bowling. They were married on August 18, 1973.

In addition to Denise, Mike is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Barrett and Meaghan Bowling of Cary, NC, and their children Claire, Alden, Graham, and Merritt; his son and daughter-in-law Alexander (Alex) and Nicole Bowling of Raleigh, NC, and their children Ansley and Everett; sister and brother-in-law Cherrie and Randy Ariail of Greensboro, NC; sisters-in-law June Sanders of Zebulon, NC and Diane Pentz of Salinas, CA; six nieces and nephews; and seven great nieces and nephews.

Mike’s greatest joy was spending time with his family, especially his six grandchildren, whether playing video games and Nerf war, sharing his “grandfather wisdom”, enjoying annual family trips to Emerald Isle beach, or hosting “cousin sleepovers” with Denise. Mike made many cherished friendships spanning decades and time zones, including special friends from his days as a student at UNC, Bill and Ellen Hunter, Jane and Alan Belsches, and Liz and Richard Pratt. During the final season of life, Mike and Denise became regular visitors to Bordeaux, France, considering themselves to be Bordelaise after 14 visits to the city. What started as an appreciation for the region’s wine led to a love for the city and its people, including special friends Berenice, Georges, Sylvie, and Bogdan.

Mike was a respected scholar and educator whose career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill spanned decades of impactful research, teaching, and service. As a professor in the Department of Health Behavior and the Department of Biostatistics at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, Mike authored numerous scholarly publications that advanced the fields of health behavior, tobacco control, and injury prevention. He also held leadership roles in university centers and initiatives, including the Injury Prevention Research Center (Associate Director) and the Carolina Survey Research Laboratory (Assistant Director). His greatest professional joy was teaching biostatistics to graduate students, winning the McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003. He encouraged his students to “embrace” biostatistics and celebrated their success by serving his famous homemade cheesecake at the end of each semester. Following Mike’s transition to Professor Emeritus status in 2016, the focus of his professional career was serving as Chair of the Survey Review Committee of the CDC Global Adult Tobacco Survey.

Mike had a dry, witty sense of humor, a curious mind, and a thoughtful presence that made time with him both engaging and enriching. Mike was an avid learner and loved to share his knowledge with others. In addition to teaching his family and students, Mike was a respected teacher at Zebulon Baptist and University Baptist Churches. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Mike’s family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff members of the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at the UNC Medical Center for their compassion and support during Mike’s final days. The family would also like to thank Dr. Young Whang and his team at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dr. Christopher Klipstein, his Internal Medicine Specialist, for extending our precious time with Mike through their expertise in designing his care plan.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held on Saturday, September 6 at 2:00 pm at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Support Program to help patients and families across our state who are in cancer treatment. Donations can be made online or by mail. Patient and Family Resource Center. c/o Catina Mitchell. NC Basnight Cancer Hospital. 101 Manning Drive. Room CG 323. Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7218.