Frederick Louis Bowyer Jr., age 88, of Jackson, TN passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 19, 2024, at Jackson Madison County General Hospital after a short battle with bone cancer.
Fred was born March 29, 1936, at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN to the late Jane Isabel Ogier and Frederick Louis Bowyer Sr. His family moved to Jackson, TN, and Fred attended Alexander Elementary School, Jackson Junior High School and Jackson High School, where he graduated in 1954. He followed in his father’s footsteps to the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated in 1958 with a degree in Civil Engineering. While at Georgia Tech, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order and the Chi Epsilon National Civil Engineering Honor Society.
After college, Fred worked as a civil engineer for Bowyer, Johnson, and Kimes Construction Company. On July 6, 1963, Fred married Lina Small Matthews Bowyer. They lived in Memphis and Lonoke, Arkansas before moving back to Jackson, TN in 1967 to raise a family. Fred was an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and served as a member of the vestry there for several years.
In 1972, Fred left his construction company and pursued his passion – farming and land development. He was responsible for farming many acres and developing several residential sub-divisions in Madison County. In 1986, he returned to his civil engineering roots and became the Chief Administrative Officer for the Madison County Highway Department, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. After retirement, he continued to enjoy working on his farms, building barns, planting trees, and managing the crops.
Fred was an avid golfer from an early age and spent countless hours on the golf course. In high school, he played in tournaments throughout the Southeast. At the age of 16, he was the youngest ever club champion at the Jackson Golf and Country Club. In both 1952 and 1953, he qualified for the PGA National Junior Amateur Championship and played at Yale University Golf Course and Southern Hills Golf Course, respectively.
Fred is survived by his children, Lina Bowyer Ellis (Joe) of Atlanta, GA and Frederick Louis Bowyer III, of Memphis, TN; his grandchildren, Matthew Joseph Ellis and Adeline Dawson Ellis of Atlanta, GA; his sisters-in-law, Sara Matthews Holmes of Memphis, TN and Sharon Brewer Matthews of Columbia, TN; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lina, of 60 years; his brother, James Wallace Bowyer of Orlando, FL; and his sister, Isabel Bowyer Arnold of Jackson, TN.
SERVICES: The funeral service for Fred will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Saint Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Humboldt, TN, with Rev. Bill Burks officiating. The burial will follow at Ridgecrest Cemetery.
The family would like to thank Rita Simmons for her care over the years! They would also like to thank Joe Ferguson for his lasting friendship to Fred and his help to the family!
The family is requesting that memorial contributions be given to: Saint Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, 6 Esquire Lewis Road, Humboldt, TN 38343.
Arrington Funeral Directors, 148 W. University Pkwy. Jackson, TN 38305, 731.668.1111, www.arringtonfuneraldirectors.com
