Ralph Wendell Fowler, 80, of Ringgold, went home to be with his Lord on Saturday, June 3, 2006. He was a life-long resident of the Ringgold area and was a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church where he served as a Sunday school teacher and youth leader. He graduated from Ringgold High School in 1944, where he excelled in baseball, basketball and golden glove boxing. He was a Navy Veteran of World War II and upon his discharge he was signed by the Kansas City Royals Farm Club Minor League Baseball Team. He purchased Ringgold Dry Cleaners, which he later sold, and enrolled at the University of Chattanooga where he received his degrees in physical education and business administration. He sponsored sports for the youth of the county for bowling, baseball, basketball, softball and golden glove boxing and supported local high school activities in Catoosa County and East Ridge, Tenn. In the 1960s he decided to donate all of his boxing sports training equipment to the Boynton community. He was the retired owner and operator of Ralph Fowler Appliances, where he was honored by DealerScope Magazine as the largest independent appliance dealer in the Southeast with furniture and appliance stores in East Ridge, Rossville, Brainard, Jubilee City and Ringgold and was most recognized for his ingenuity, salesmanship and advertising innovations. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 106 F&AM; where at the time he was inducted, he was the youngest member of the lodge at the age of 21 and his grandfather, William H. Black was the oldest living member of the lodge, and he received his 50-year membership pin in 2001. He was a member of the Alhambra Shrine of Chattanooga and in 1969 he was a charter member of Chattanooga Scottish Rites Bodies and he received his 25-year pin in 1994 and was a member of the Mystic Shrine in 1969. He was a charter member of the East Ridge Chamber of Commerce. He was preceded in death by his parents, William B. and Roba B. Fowler; sisters, Joyce Fowler Daffron and Kate Fowler Stapp; brothers, Edward Cantrell Fowler and infant Billy Fowler and nephew, William H. Fowler.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Betty Davis Fowler; sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and (Larry) Wicker all of Ringgold; nieces and nephews, Shirley Ann Stapp, Linda and (Dr. Carter) Black, Dr. Jamie and (the Rev. Joseph) Young, Nancy Jane (Arnold) Trout, Michael L. Fowler and Lisa McCray; several great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews; special friends, Jerry and Doris Biddle, the Wigfall family and North Georgia Home Health staff.
Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the Wallis-Stewart Chapel with Dr. Telford C. Barrett and the Rev. Joseph M. Young officiating. Burial will follow in the West Hill Cemetery in Dalton. The family will begin receive friends after 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and prior to the service on Wednesday at the funeral home. Raymond Cargal, James Cargal, Guilford Cargal, Jimmy Fowler, Doug Chinery, and Dan Johnson will serve as pallbearers. Michael Mullen, Lawrence A. Stagg, Esq., Sonny Caldwell, Kenneth Hollifield, James Moreland and Alvin Worley will serve as honorary pallbearers. Flowers will be accepted, but contributions may be made to the Ralph W. Fowler Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 888, Ringgold, GA 30736, 423-756-0052 (Ben Crownover CPA).
Arrangements are by the Wallis-Stewart Chapel of Wilson Funeral Homes, Ringgold. Obituary line 861-1060. Online guest book at www.wilsonfuneralhome.com.
