Obituary of Charles Richard Bowers

Charles Richard Bowers, age 83, of Punta Gorda, Florida, died Sunday, January 19, 2020 at The Foley Center At Chestnut Ridge in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Mr. Bowers was born March 5, 1936 in Albemarle, North Carolina. He is the son of the late Charlie Wade and the late Evelyn Frances (Earnhardt) Bowers. Charles graduated from Hickory High School in Hickory, North Carolina in 1954. He pursued the Naval Academy and graduated from Lenoir Rhyne College in 1959 Sigma Phi Epsilon. He served in the Navy during the the Vietnam war from 1960 to 1965 in the 8596th Aircraft Commander/Transport Pilot (Air Trans) division. The aircraft he piloted was the massive Lockheed C-130 Hercules. He received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Congo, Viet Nam, and Dominican Republic Area of Operation. Following his military service he became an international commercial airline captain with TWA based out of the JFK Airport in Queens, New York in which the Boeing 767 became his piloted aircraft. Charles called many places home throughout his life. He lived in Hickory, North Carolina, Pensacola, Florida, Corpus Christi, Texas, Norfolk, Virginia, Ridgefield, Connecticut and Redding, Connecticut. Upon retirement he split his time between Blowing Rock, North Carolina and Punta Gorda, Florida Charles valued his church and his church family. During his 27 years in Connecticut he attended St. Andrews Lutheran Church, in Ridgefield. While in Punta Gorda, Florida he attended Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Punta Gorda. Charles leaves a legacy of a full life, he had a passion for airplanes, international travel, and gourmet food. He is survived by a son; Stanley Wade Bowers of Punta Gorda, Florida; a sister, Linda Agee and husband George of Marietta, Georgia; a brother-in-law, Archie Eckard and wife Faith of Taylorsville, North Carolina; two grandsons, Alex Bowers of Punta Gorda, Florida and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, Chad Bowers of Richmond, Virginia; a granddaughter, Caroline Bowers of Richmond, Virginia He is preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Rita G. Bowers and a son Charles R. Bowers II, Charles Bowers was cremated on Friday, January 24, 2020 at Austin and Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory in Boone, North Carolina. There will be a celebration of life service at Church of the Good Shepherd, 401 W. Henry Street, Punta Gorda, FL on Thursday, May 5th at 11am followed by a reception at Laishley Crab House,150 Laishley Court, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Legion Post 90, 135 Bear Trail, Boone, 28607 or to the DAV chapter 90, P.O. Box 2914, Boone, NC 28607 or to Church of the Good Shepherd, 401 W. Henry Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Austin and Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Bowers Family.