Dr. Edward R. "Bob" Fowler

Bob was born in Amarillo, TX on May 24, 1922 and peacefully passed away at Hospice of the Southwest on June 10, 2015. The Fowler family moved to Canadian, TX when Bob was quite young and he grew up enjoying hunting, fishing and milking cows early in the morning. Bob talked a lot about how bright and beautiful the stars were on the dark prairie nights. The Canadian High School band became an important part of his life, and when his family moved to Amarillo, he became part of the famous Amarillo High School Sandie band. After high school, Bob moved to Dallas where he attended the Baylor University College of Dentistry and he received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, became a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national honor dental society, and was also appointed as a Lieutenant JG in the US Navy. During WWII, Bob served as a dentist aboard the US Navy USS Salisbury Sound, a seaplane tender in the Pacific. While stationed in San Diego, CA, he met a beautiful young Navy Wave named Eloise Burns. Bob and Eloise had a whirlwind WWII romance and were married for 69 years. Eloise passed from Bob's arms to the Lords on August 1, 2014. After marrying Eloise, the Korean War began and Bob was called to serve in the Navy again. While his ship was stationed in the waters around Okinawa, he had time to hold church services in his dental clinic aboard ship. He also helped establish two churches on the island that are still in existence today. Upon leaving the service, Bob and Eloise moved to Amarillo, TX where he practiced dentistry for many years. After his two children were raised, he began a 15 year career in the Veterans Administration as Chief of Dental Services and directed dental programs in several major cities. When Bob retired, the decision was made to come back home to Amarillo. Retirement did not slow Bob down as he became involved in the development of the Park Central Retirement and Advanced Health Facility, served on the board of Jan Werner Adult Health Care and provided many lectures to nursing homes and schools. One of Bob's greatest joys in retirement was serving as a clinical professor at the Amarillo College School of Dental Hygiene where he loved his students. He continued his work there until age 92. Bob never forgot those dark Canadian starry nights and throughout his life he studied astronomy, built his own telescopes, ground his own lenses and gazed at the universe during the night in amazement of God's glory. He loved the Amarillo Astronomy Club and was awarded a lifetime membership. Bob loved his family, the Texas Panhandle, the Navy and his many friends. He said, "Life in Amarillo has been long, exciting and good to me." Family members left cherishing his memory: Janet Tonne, Robert and Renée Fowler, Jon Tonne, Amy and Brian Wood, Macy Callahan, Emma Wood and Brittany Hanks.

Visitation Schedule

Cox Funeral Home 4180 Canyon Drive Amarillo, TX 79109 Sunday, June 14, 2015 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Service Schedule

Graveside Service Llano Cemetery Amarillo, TX Monday, June 15, 2015

Burial Schedule

Llano Cemetery Amarillo , TX

Memorial Contributions

Hospice of the Southwest 6600 Kilgore Drive Amarillo, TX 79106