Bouchi Cowherd (Belliender)
2024-07-24
Martha "Bouchi" Belliender, 67, of Scottsdale, AZ, died July 24, 2024. Bouchi, loving wife of Don Belliender, passed away after a 21-year battle with brain meningiomas. Her final moments were spent hiking - her favorite activity and the very thing that she had she would want to be doing when it was her time to go.
Bouchi was born in Pulaski, TN to Freeman and Faye Cowherd. The youngest of four, Bouchi was a self-described tomboy; she was always playing sports or lifting weights. She cheered at the University of Alabama while the famous Bear Bryant was Head Coach during the mid-1970s and later went on to own her own aerobics studio in Little Rock, AR, called "The Sweat Shop". She became a mother in her 20s to Dustin and 2 years later Kristen. At the age of 39, she landed her dream job as a Firefighter & Paramedic for Sun Lakes, AZ Fire Department. She married Don Belliender in September 1999. In 2003, she discovered she had brain meningiomas and had to unexpectedly retire from the Fire Department after only 7.5 years. With her committed husband by her side, she endured 22 brain surgeries and procedures over a period of 21 years, defying odds and getting to know all her surgeons on a first name basis.
Hiking became her favorite solace - whether it was scaling Mt. Humphreys (the tallest peak in AZ), hiking rim to rim at the Grand Canyon, or frequenting other local trails like Camelback, South Mountain, the Superstitions or McDowells - Bouchi hiked as a way to heal and endure her medical challenges. Bouchi managed to climb two of the "14-ers" (referring to the 14,000+ ft mountains in the U.S. such as Mt. Whitney and Mt. Elbert), and even conquered her fear of heights by flying tandem on a hang glider with her son's best friend, after Dustin towed them up for her maiden voyage. She took in various cats and dogs over the years, the latter of which loved joining her on the trails. In her later years, she spent many days hiking her recovery mountain (as she called it) at Papago Park. She marveled at nature and enjoyed watching the peach-faced lovebirds she fed in her front yard. She was never too busy to run outside to see the full moon or her favorite: the crescent moon.
Bouchie is survived by her husband of nearly 23 years, Don, her children, Dustin Martin and Kristen Hayward along with Kristin's husband, Matthew, and their children, Jack, Jane and Madison. Bouchi was so proud of her children and grandchildren and loved them endlessly. She is also survived by her loving siblings, Teresa Dwire, Connie Cowherd and Mark Cowherd and their families. Bouchi never meet a stranger and leaves behind many grieving family and friends who were privileged to know her and be inspired by her positivity throughout her entire life - and her perservence in such difficult circumstances. Bouchi was one of kind and she is loved to the crescent moon and back!
Bouchi was born in Pulaski, TN to Freeman and Faye Cowherd. The youngest of four, Bouchi was a self-described tomboy; she was always playing sports or lifting weights. She cheered at the University of Alabama while the famous Bear Bryant was Head Coach during the mid-1970s and later went on to own her own aerobics studio in Little Rock, AR, called "The Sweat Shop". She became a mother in her 20s to Dustin and 2 years later Kristen. At the age of 39, she landed her dream job as a Firefighter & Paramedic for Sun Lakes, AZ Fire Department. She married Don Belliender in September 1999. In 2003, she discovered she had brain meningiomas and had to unexpectedly retire from the Fire Department after only 7.5 years. With her committed husband by her side, she endured 22 brain surgeries and procedures over a period of 21 years, defying odds and getting to know all her surgeons on a first name basis.
Hiking became her favorite solace - whether it was scaling Mt. Humphreys (the tallest peak in AZ), hiking rim to rim at the Grand Canyon, or frequenting other local trails like Camelback, South Mountain, the Superstitions or McDowells - Bouchi hiked as a way to heal and endure her medical challenges. Bouchi managed to climb two of the "14-ers" (referring to the 14,000+ ft mountains in the U.S. such as Mt. Whitney and Mt. Elbert), and even conquered her fear of heights by flying tandem on a hang glider with her son's best friend, after Dustin towed them up for her maiden voyage. She took in various cats and dogs over the years, the latter of which loved joining her on the trails. In her later years, she spent many days hiking her recovery mountain (as she called it) at Papago Park. She marveled at nature and enjoyed watching the peach-faced lovebirds she fed in her front yard. She was never too busy to run outside to see the full moon or her favorite: the crescent moon.
Bouchie is survived by her husband of nearly 23 years, Don, her children, Dustin Martin and Kristen Hayward along with Kristin's husband, Matthew, and their children, Jack, Jane and Madison. Bouchi was so proud of her children and grandchildren and loved them endlessly. She is also survived by her loving siblings, Teresa Dwire, Connie Cowherd and Mark Cowherd and their families. Bouchi never meet a stranger and leaves behind many grieving family and friends who were privileged to know her and be inspired by her positivity throughout her entire life - and her perservence in such difficult circumstances. Bouchi was one of kind and she is loved to the crescent moon and back!