Byron Buxton Bower III, 96, of Florence, Ala., passed away on Dec. 5, 2013. “Big B” was born on Sept. 28, 1917, and raised in Bainbridge, Ga. He received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Georgia. He proudly served his country during World War II. He was a longtime owner of the Florence Hardware Store and had many local real estate interests. He enjoyed working to establish the Florence/Lauderdale Industrial Park during his 40 years of “retirement”. A lifetime golfer and tennis player, he was a charter founder of Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club and fondly recalled each tree he planted there. He was one of the longest serving Rotarians in the country. He loved to stay busy, working daily until the last year of his life.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Virginia Marie Hollis Brewer, of Pelham, Ga.; his parents, John Dickinson Bower and Carolyn Rogers Bower; his brother, John Dickinson Bower Jr.; and sisters, Carolyn Bower Olin, Peggy Bower Lanham, and Mary Bower Stone.
He is survived by his children, Hollis Bower McDonald, Byron Buxton Bower IV, and Evirgiline (“Eve”) Conway Bower; his grandhildren, Justin Toby McDonald (Virginia), Eve McDonald Boger (William), Byron (“Trip”) Buxton Bower V, and Jessica (“Jessie”) Petree Bower; and six great-grandchildren.
A private service will be held at Greenview Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Trinity Episcopal Church, Drawer M, Florence, AL 35631.
Arrangements by Greenview Funeral Home.
