Thomas Andrew Bowles passed away peacefully at his home at the Bowles farm near Courtland on July 1, 2015. He was born November 2, 1939, in Decatur to Thomas Andrew and Grace Pfile Bowles. He is survived by his daughter, Lillian Goldthwaite Bowles of London, England.
Tom grew up in Decatur and graduated from Decatur High School. He attended Vanderbilt University, received a B.A. from the University of Alabama, and did post-graduate studies at the Harvard School of Business.
As a true polymath, his entire life was devoted to a profound curiosity and passion for learning, in all fields of endeavor. He was equally gifted as an artist (drawing, painting, accomplished sculptor in terracotta), musician (wind instruments, piano, and cello), composer (primarily art songs, but also musicals), poet, choreographer, stage and lighting designer, cotton farme, and museum director. He was fluent in 15 languages and read Egyptian hieroglyphs. Throughout his life, he was an avid collector of art, artifacts, Southern Plantation antiques and rare books.
Tom travelled the world in the 1960s and early 1970s. In Los Angeles, he pursued his training as a sculptor and completed a number of commissions in terracotta, including several works for the actor, Raymond Burr.
He lived eight years in Europe (mostly in Spain, Florence, and Munich) to further his studies of the arts. During these years, he was engaged in numerous creative undertakings, including the following (a small sampling of his work):
. He supported the development of Spanish theater, working in Madrid with the director Francisco Nieva;
. He became the world expert and primary collector of the work of the Spanish artist Ricardo de Villodas;
. In Florence, he studied Palladian architecture and supported the ballet and opera at LaScala in Milan;
. In Munich, he was commissioned by Prince Franz von Bayern to restore the original models for the Wagner stage sets;
. He researched and was engaged in the restoration of Ludwig II of Bavaria’s castles across Germany;
. He was commissioned by the Fürst and Fürstin of Liechtenstein to assist in restorations to Vaduz Castle and to produce the debutante party of their daughter;
. For the 1972 Munich Olympics, he worked with the artist Oskar Kokoschka on the opening ceremony, and with the sculptor Otto Peine on the closing ceremony; and he created an exhibition of polarized light.
Tom returned to the United States to assist his father in building a cotton gin and co-managing the Bowles cotton plantation. In the mid 1970s, he moved to Huntsville where he was appointed the Executive Director of the Huntsville Museum of Art. His tenure is particularly remembered for his expertise and ability to secure for Huntsville world-famous exhibits, such as rare celadon porcelains and the bejeweled creations of Peter Carl Fabergé.
During the 1980s, he lived in New York City, where he worked as a consultant to a number of arts organizations. He studied music theory and composition with leading experts in the field, at the Mannes School of Music and Juilliard, and with the Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim.
In retirement, Tom lived at the Bowles farm near Courtland. He continued to collect art, primarily for teaching purposes. He composed a large body of music, and he also shared his love of music with many members of the Garner and Orr families, in impromptu singing and music theory sessions. He enjoyed marathon phone calls with his daughter, Lillian, in London, and doted on his two British shorthair cats. In recent months, his favorite project was planning and developing his rose garden and lily pond.
Tom will be remembered not only for his love of art and music and beauty, but also for his endless enthusiasm for learning and his ability to share that knowledge with others. He had a genuine interest in, and concern and generosity toward, other people, and a unique talent for encouraging others to develop their own special gifts and to pursue their dreams. Tom was much loved and will be greatly missed.
A visitation will be held at the Roselawn Funeral Home, 741 Danville Road SW in Decatur on Wednesday, July 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 11, at 2 p.m. at the Bowles Family Cemetery on the farm near Courtland, 347 County Road #396, Town Creek, Alabama, 35672, with Reverend James Garner officiating. Directions to Bowles Family Cemetery: From the intersection of Decatur Beltline Road (Highway 67) and Highway 20, travel west on Highway 20 twenty miles to County Road 270 (no marking) — across the highway on south side is the second Welcome to Courtland sign. Turn right (north) onto County Road 270 (270 marker on right hand side) Once on 270, also known as Little Sam Road, continue across railroad tracks and for approximately 2.2 miles
at crest of hill with left-hand curve, turn right into Bowles farm road (347 County Road #396) at red painted sign on right side of road with address.
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