Jean McGill Abercrombie Bohls

Jean McGill Abercrombie Bohls of Austin, Texas, age 88, died peacefully on May 5, 2025. Born August 15, 1936, in Edinburgh, Scotland to Annie and Peter Abercrombie, she traveled to Texas in January 1956 when she was 19, excited to experience a new culture and climate. While enrolled in business school in Austin, Texas, she met her future husband, Otto W. Bohls Jr. Jean and Otto married on March 15, 1958, and enjoyed 59 years of marriage. Much of Jean’s professional life was working in the Long-Term Care division at the Texas Health Department. Afterwords, she worked in admissions at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jean and Otto took many road trips and especially enjoyed escaping the Texas summer heat by hiking in the Colorado mountains. Jean was always one to stop and smell the roses and she had a great appreciation of all of nature’s beautiful gifts. She also loved singing and music, and supported music education for her children and grandchildren. She had a big, compassionate heart, loved all babies and friendly dogs, supported many charities, and most of all loved her family.

Her survivors include her son, Peter Bohls, her daughter Julie Fowler and son-in-law Richard Fowler, grandsons, Andrew Butler and Isaac Fowler, and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her brother Peter Abercrombie and sister-in-law Ann Abercrombie in England, brother John Abercrombie and sister-in-law Linda Abercrombie in Australia, sister Ruby Ramage, sister-in-law Leah Bohls in Pflugerville, Texas, and brother-in-law John Lacy in Houston, Texas. She is preceded in death by her husband Otto W. Bohls Jr, her sister Anne Abercrombie Botterill and brother-in-law James Botterill, sister Elizabeth (Betty) Abercrombie McPoland, brother William (Bill) Abercrombie and sister- in-law Josephine Abercrombie, sister-in-law Lillian Thornton and brother-in-law Gale Thornton, brother-in-law Clarence Bohls, and sister-in-law Anita Lacy.

She will be buried in the family plot in Pflugerville, Texas during a private ceremony held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to any charity that benefits children.

Here's a small piece of what we'll remember.

Mom was full of life, full of fun, full of wonder. She was in awe at the complexity of the universe and our place in it. She was full of questions and curiosity which she would attribute to her quality Scottish education. She was proud to be from Scotland and to be an Abercrombie. If one Abercrombie was in trouble, there was a whole family of Abercrombies coming to the rescue.

She was a member of the church choir, though a reluctant performer. However, when encouraged by her sister-in-law, Anita, to “sing the high part, Jean”, she would take the Christmas carol we were singing up an octave and to everyone's delight, hit every note.

She couldn't let a walked dog pass on the street without learning her name, how old she was, what breed, whether she was a “good girl” all while giving the dog extra pets.

Babies brought out her strong maternal instincts. She had a way of communicating through her eyes and voice that drew a baby's attention.

She loved gardening. She loved having her hands in the dirt. If she were eating cherries for dessert, she would save the stones and throw them into the backyard to give them a chance at life. That's who she was.

She knew death would come, but not today. For today, it was L'Chaim. To Life. She lived 88 short years but loved them all.

Mostly she was full of love. For Peter, for Julie, for Andrew, for Isaac, for Dad. We will miss her terribly. We loved her with all our hearts.

Below is one of her favorite poems she often recited from memory.