David Edward Bowling age 76, passed away February 23, 2024, at Jackson Madison County General Hospital.
He was born March 7, 1947, in Lexington, KY, the son of the late James Boyd and Mildred Jean Bablitz Bowling. He grew up in Indianapolis, IN and graduated from Morton Memorial High School.
He joined the Indiana Army National Guard in 1966 and then was deployed to active duty in Vietnam. He was part of the Company D 151st Airborne Infantry and they were the most highly decorated unit to serve in Vietnam. He received a Bronze Star for Valor and four Purple Hearts. He returned for a second tour as a Green Beret. He was medically discharged in 1975 after sustaining injuries from an RPG attack on the helicopter he was in.
He married Caroline Reynolds in 1971 and they raised their two sons, Donald and Tony in Clarksville, TN.
He later married Terri Pease on January 8, 2008, and they made their home in Indiana for a time before moving to Bethel Springs in 2016. He was a member of the Riverview Baptist Church in Savannah.
His two special characteristics were to eat breakfast and socialize at various cafes and to give away candy to whomever he met; he was known as the “Candy Man”.
He also spent several years coaching his sons’ baseball teams.
Mr. Bowling is survived by his wife, Terri Ann Pease Bowling of Bethel Springs; two sons, Donald Bowling of Bethel Springs and Tony Bowling (Stacy) of Clarksville, TN; two grandchildren, Shelby and Wyatt Bowling; five brothers, James Bowling of Janesville, WI, Marvin Bowling of Port Richey, FL, Donald Bowling of Martinsville, IN, Frank Clark of Camby, IN and Will Clark of Mooresville, IN and a sister, Lawana Cleaver of Martinsville, IN.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Ron Savonen.
Memorial services will be announced later.
Shackelford Funeral Directors
