Darlene Ross Ausmus MacDermid Bowman, age 91, passed away May 30, 2026. She was born in Galesburg, Illinois to Ethel and Herman Lavely but spent her adult life in Murfreesboro where she was a teacher. Darlene received her undergraduate degree from MTSC and her masters from MTSU. She began teaching grade 5 at Reeves Rogers in 1965. Later she taught at Bradley Middle and then Homer Pittard MTSU Campus School. Darlene taught methods classes for MTSU and supervised student teachers in many middle Tennessee counties.

Darlene was active in Belle Aire Baptist Church, Daughters of American Revolution, and International Reading Association.

She was preceded in death by her husbands-Bradley Ross, Cary Ausmus, Donald MacDermid and Jerry Bowman and her two sisters Evelyn Wright and Nancy Hunnicutt.

She is survived by her daughter and son in law, Pam and Kenny Bare and her granddaughter and her husband, Hilary and Greg Hopkins, and her 2 great grandchildren Jack and Ava Jones.