Dr. Louis Albert Bowick, Jr., 88, passed away at his home in Huntsville, AL, on Monday, June 27, 2022. Physician, musician, and father of four, Louis was an avid golfer, tennis player, and bluegrass enthusiast. He was a gifted instructor, always fond of “giving lessons” wherever he thought they might be helpful. A lifelong lover of learning, Louis read music books with the same zeal he devoted to spy novels, golf magazines, the newspaper—and the dictionary. He strived in earnest, in grand and varied ventures, to hone his skills as a barbershop singer, tap dancer, amateur juggler, and as a cornet player in the Huntsville Senior Jazz Band. In 1977, he ran (and finished) Huntsville’s First Annual Rocket City Marathon, the first major marathon ever held in the state of Alabama.
Born in Augusta, GA, in the heart of the Great Depression, Louis spent his childhood Saturdays at the movies, saddled up alongside Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. From these early days, Louis developed the love of music that followed and inspired him throughout his life—a love he heartily shared with his family and friends.
In 1950 Louis graduated from Richmond Academy, one of the nation’s oldest high schools, founded in Augusta before the signing of the Constitution. The summer of 1950 he spent working odd jobs in Alaska, driving all the way to Fairbanks from Augusta with two of his best hometown pals—no doubt his greatest pre-fatherhood adventure. The following year he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves, where he served as a Navy Radarman and earned the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM). Louis graduated from the University of Georgia in 1958, then enrolled in medical school. In 1963, he graduated from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), ultimately achieving board certification in pediatrics.
Louis enjoyed a long and successful medical career. In addition to his tenure(s) as a pediatrician, he also conducted medical research for Abbott Laboratories before partnering in private practice. Louis joined the University of Alabama staff in 1975, treating UA sports teams and student non-athletes at the Student Health Center in Tuscaloosa. From there, he then served as general practitioner to patients at historic Bryce Hospital before opening his own private practice in Fayette, AL, specializing in family medicine, pediatrics, and occupational health.
Louis closed his practice in Fayette and moved to Huntsville with his family in 1989, accepting the Chief of Preventive Medical Services position at Redstone Arsenal. He enjoyed a wide range of responsibilities at Redstone, where he oversaw the occupational health and preventive medicine programs until his retirement from the Arsenal in 1997.
Still, retirement did not slow Louis down much. He continued to work at several clinics around Huntsville, including the NASA Medical Center. Throughout his career, however, Louis’s primary personal ambition—much more so than financial gain—was to provide a good home for his wife and family. To this end, he was always faithful, not only in pursuing this goal, but also in securing it.
Louis was preceded in death by his father, Mr. Louis Albert Bowick, Sr.; his mother, Mrs. Ruth Alverta Murphy Bowick; and his sister, Mrs. Dorothy Bowick Blease (Vernon). Surviving Louis are his former wife, Mrs. Georgia Twitty Bowick; four beloved children, Stephen Murphy Bowick, Ann Bowick Owen (Rick), John Charles “J.C.” Bowick (Leigh Anne), and Jean Marie Bowick; four cherished grandchildren, Andrew Helms Bowick, Lauren Jacobs Lusk (Jeremy), David Ian Jacobs, and David Clay Bowick; and two precious great-grandchildren, Theodore “Teddy” Lusk and Gertrude “Trudy” Lusk.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, at Westover Memorial Park in Augusta, GA.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorials be made in Louis’s name to Operation Smile, 3641 Faculty Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23453—or online at www.operationsmile.org.
