Mr. Charles Oscar ?Buddy? Fowler, III, 73, a resident of Pleasantwood Dr. in Mt. Pleasant, passed away Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at Centennial Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
Funeral services for Mr. Fowler will be conducted Friday, February 24, 2006 at 2:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant with Reverend Phillip Wright, Reverend Randy Brown and Richard Pettus officiating. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery with military honors provided by the US Naval Service and the Tennessee National Guard. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 5:00 until 9:00 pm at the Williams Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant.
The Maury County native was the son of the late Charles O. and Mildred Caughran Fowler, II and husband of Brenda Ogg Simmons Fowler. He was a graduate of Columbia Military Academy, MTSU and the University of Tennessee. He was the 0wner/operator of Tennessee Amusement Company in Columbia and owner/operator, along with his wife, of Keith?s Flowers in Mt. Pleasant.
Having young children, Charles realized the need to encourage children to get involved in sports. He started and coached Pop Warner Football over 32 years, served as President and in other capacities in the organization. He served as Commissioner of the National Pop Warner Association and was well respected throughout the national and state organization. Throughout his 32 years of coaching, he has won numerous state championships and several times on the national level. Many of his young players have gone on to play in college and some, like Richard Pettus, have become coaches. He was an inspiration to all his players. In coaching, he strived for good sportsmanship, making good grades and getting a college education. He believed that keeping children involved in sports made them less likely to get into trouble. Charles and Brenda opened their home to his football children. There they practiced in the back yard, played on the trampoline and watched sports on TV. At the end of each season, he would take his players on an inspiring trip to a UT Football game, where they would visit the campus and get to walk out onto the UT football field. He was recognized by the governors of Tennessee and President George Bush, Sr. for his dedication leadership and untiring work with the youth and the Pop Warner Organization, both on the state and national levels. The Pop Warner Football field in Mt. Pleasant was named the Charles Mr. Football Fowler Practice Field in his honor for outstanding work with the young people.
He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church and every year he would sponsor a group of young people to go to Black Mountain Retreat. He was head of the ushers and the Evangelism Committee.
He was on the board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of the Friends of the Museum, the Chamber of Commerce and a past member of the Jaycees. He was on the Mt. Pleasant Industrial Board and the Community Citizens Advisory Board.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Janey Greg Fowler Stults of Houston, TX; sons, Charles O. Linda Fowler, IV of Quinlan, TX, Kirk Cathy Fowler of Columbia, Bob Parke Fowler of Richland, MS, Jeffery April Simmons of Centerville and Bobby Christa Simmons of Lawrenceburg; a sister, RubyDr. Axel Norstedt of Mobile, AL; grandchildren, Betsy Stults Banks, Stacie Stults Townson and Cory Stults, all of Houston, TX, Tori Fowler, Chase Fowler and Nick Fowler, all of Quinlan, TX, Sam Fowler of Nashville, Alana Fowler of Lackland Air Force Base, TX, Cameron Fowler, Wes Fowler and Caughran Fowler, all of Richland, MS, Chloe Simmons, Raven Simmons, Elijah Simmons and Hannah Simmons, all of Centerville, Austin Simmons and Addie Simmons, both of Lawrenceburg; great grandchildren, Cody Banks and Nicholas Banks, Denton Townson and Kylie Townson, all of Houston, TX, Alissa Fowler of Qiunlan, TX and Tinley Stults of Houston, TX; several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Betsy Dawson.
Pallbearers will be Albert Lane, Ken Hampton, Chucky Brown, Richard Davis, Richard Pettus, Marion Whitaker, Tommy Jones, Milton Knowles, Ned Rich and Stacie Bearden. Honorary pallbearers will be former Pop Warner Football players.
Memorials may be made to the Charles Fowler Athletic Building Fund, c/o First Farmers & Merchants Bank, 128 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant, TN 38474 or to the First United Methodist Church, 202 S. Main St., Mt. Pleasant, TN 38474