Lynn Fowler 1932-2023: Former mayor pushed for industrial development, 'good of the city'

May 19—Former Decatur Mayor Lynn Curry Fowler, who was known for his commitment to the community, extensive political career and support of industrial development, died Wednesday night at the age of 90.

The Fort Worth, Texas, native died with his wife of 64 years, Anne, and family by his side at their Pennylane Southeast home.

Lynn E. Fowler said his father was active until about two weeks ago when his health worsened and he went into the hospital. He was released into care by Hospice of the Valley at home for about a week before his death from congestive heart failure.

"He lived his life at 100 mph and then he couldn't live at 100 mph, so then it was time to go," Lynn E. Fowler said.

Southern Bell, which later became BellSouth and is now AT&T, transferred Lynn C. Fowler to Decatur in 1965. Lynn E. Fowler said this was where his parents felt they had found their home to raise three sons and a daughter.

Fowler spent his life in service to the community, whether it was serving on the Morgan County Economic Development Association board, volunteering with his beloved Kiwanis Club of Decatur or serving as a Decatur school board member and then mayor.

Those who knew him said Thursday that Fowler was always pushing, encouraging and seeking ways to help people and the community.

"There's no question he was a titan in this city," said friend Tommy Daniels, a retired bank executive. "He was tireless when it came to community service."

Mayor Tab Bowling said Fowler's death is a "significant loss to his family, friends and the residents of the city of Decatur. A lot of people care about our city, but Mayor Fowler had a special way of caring and getting things done for the good of the city."

Daniels said he will always remember Fowler greeting people at his table in the back of the room for Kiwanis luncheons at Decatur Country Club "like he's king addressing his subjects."

Daniels said Fowler rarely missed a meeting even as his health deteriorated, and he was always calling people over to talk with them, including those involved with nonprofits.

"He'd give a check to most of them," Daniels said. "I don't know what the checks were for, it's none of my business, but the guy gave away a lot of money."

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No-delay attitude

Daniels said many of those invited to his table were also politicians or city employees.

"He was always trying to get something done," Daniels said. "He'd tell them, 'Don't delay. Why are we waiting two weeks to get this done? Have you talked to so and so? Have you done this? We need to get this done like right now.' That was his personality.

"If Fowler called, you better get your stuff together because he's going to question you and he's going to want you to do whatever it is they're talking about getting done right now. He doesn't want to wait two weeks. He wants it done right now."

Bowling said Fowler encouraged him to run for mayor prior to his first term in 2016. He said he often called Fowler seeking advice. Fowler occasionally called and visited to discuss a specific subject or occurrence.

"He would call with tasks he wanted to get done," Bowling said.

Bowling said he went to visit the former mayor prior to a trip to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

"Mayor Fowler said, 'Make them tell you when it's going to get done,'" Bowling said. "He was big on, 'Are you going to get in the game and play or are you going to be a benchwarmer?'"

Lynn E. Fowler said his father was particularly proud of serving on the Morgan County Economic Development Association's board of directors for 36 years from 1978 until 2014.

During Lynn C. Fowler's tenure on the board, he was instrumental in helping attract major industries like General Electric, Daikin America, Nucor (Trico) Steel, Toray Industries and United Launch Alliance (Boeing) to Decatur and Morgan County.

Wally Terry, a former EDA vice president, said Fowler played a big part in the creation of the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park. In December 1987, $8.5 million in bonds were sold to finance the industrial park. The park is now home to almost 15 industries.

"We lost an industry (BorgWarner) in 1987 because we didn't have sewer available, so Lynn led the charge and we created Mallard-Fox Creek" as a solution, Terry said. "Fowler turned a negative into a positive."

Terry added that none of the industrial activity on the Tennessee River in recent years would have happened without Fowler and the Mallard-Fox Creek project.

Terry said Fowler was a key negotiator in attracting the Boeing Co. plant that later became United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp. Terry said issues arose among the attorneys in negotiations to attract Boeing in the late 1990s.

Terry said Boeing executive Mike Bunney pulled Fowler aside and said, "'We're going to be mess this up if we don't do something.'" Fowler then told the attorneys to go home and hammered out a deal with Bunney, according to Terry.

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Mayor from 2000-04

Fowler served two terms on the Decatur school board, including one as board president. He was elected mayor in 2000.

Dot Montgomery said she was lucky to work for five-term Mayor Bill Dukes and then serve on the City Council when Fowler was mayor.

"People still call him, 'Mayor Fowler,'" Montgomery said. "He was very highly regarded then and now he's still very highly regarded. He's done so much for this entire area."

Montgomery said Fowler was a nice man who was effective in getting a consensus among council members on issues and projects.

"His main concern was always what would be best for the city of Decatur present and future," Montgomery said. "As much experience as he had, he always took time to listen to everyone about a certain situation. He didn't try to push his ideas."

Lynn E. Fowler said his father's proudest accomplishment as mayor was the construction of the Jack Allen Sports Complex in Southwest Decatur. This 10-field soccer complex on Modaus Road has become a major economic driver and tourism attraction for the city.

Now an attorney in Atlanta, Lynn E. Fowler said, "Whenever I would come back home to visit, he would always make us ride by Jack Allen and see how it's doing."

Fowler lost in his reelection bid for a second term as mayor in 2004 and that ended his political career, but it didn't stop him from trying to get things done that would improve the community.

Fowler's greatest passion was helping children, and Daniels said this is one of the reasons he loved being a Kiwanis Club member. He was a member for over 50 years, including serving as club president.

"Everything we do at Kiwanis benefits children," Daniels said.

Kiwanis' annual Pancake Day every February was one of Fowler's favorite activities and he was usually one of the club's top revenue producers for the fundraiser.

"Fowler raised a lot of money for Pancake Day," Daniels said. "And I'm not sure how much of that was raised from other people and how much of it was just from his personal funds."

Daniels said they created a challenge in Kiwanis in which he teamed with Fowler to compete with other club teams to see who could raise the most money selling Pancake Day tickets. Fowler and Daniels annually defeated the club's other teams that would have close to two dozen members each.

As part of his Kiwanis Club membership, Fowler became connected with the Alabama Sheriffs Boys Ranch in Punkin Center near Danville and served on the ranch board.

Bobby Jo Smith served as Boys Ranch director for 20 years and said he has known Fowler for 50 years. He said his Boys Ranch was the envy of other boys and girls children's homes in the state. They were particularly envious that he had a supporter and prime fundraiser in Fowler.

"He was responsible for raising a lot of money for the Boys Ranch," Smith said. "When we had a meeting, he would lock the door and say, 'We're not leaving here until we figure out what the right thing is to do to help the children.'"

Fowler's father was a manager for Swift and Co. and moved the family in 1948 from South Dakota to south Georgia. Fowler became quarterback on his high school football team in Moultrie, Georgia, and in 1950 was an all-region pick despite weighing only 128 pounds. He was eventually inducted into the Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame. He attended Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, for two years before finishing college at Georgia Tech.

Fowler is survived by his wife, Anne, their three sons, Lynn E. (Candace), Brian (Kelli) and Michael, a daughter, Elizabeth Anne (Bethanne) Taylor, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son, Christopher David. Fowler was born Sept. 6, 1932, in Fort Worth to the late Genevieve and Lynn A. Fowler.

A memorial service and celebration of life is scheduled for May 27 at 10 a.m. at Brian and Kelli's home, 1837 Brookmeade Road S.E. The public is invited.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.