Huie Raymond “Ray” Bowen, Jr., 58, of Tifton died Monday, May 21, 2012, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, 2012, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. W. Ches Smith, III and Dr. Wayne Roe will officiate with burial to follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Harry Bowen, Denean Stafford, Carroll Coarsey, Tommy Lindsey, Rob Campbell and Jerry Youngblood will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Donald Dorminey, Ron Evans, Wayne Matthews, Gordon Campbell and Joe Gray. The family will receive friends on Thursday, May 24, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. until the hour of the service in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church.
Mr. Bowen was born on April 25, 1954 in Tift County and was the son of Betty Matthews Bowen of Tifton and the late Huie Raymond Bowen, Sr. He had worked for Arnett’s Milling Company and was a modular home salesman. He was a member of Tifton’s First Baptist Church, Springhill Country Club and the Tifton Jaycees. He graduated from Georgia Southwestern College.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Bowen is survived by his wife of 34 years, Beth Coleman Bowen of Tifton; two sons and daughters-in-law, Matthew and Jami Bowen of Tifton and Joshua and Kaley Bowen of Sylvester; two brothers and one sister-in-law, Richard Lee and Cindy Bowen of Peachtree City and David Matthews Bowen of McAllen, Texas; one granddaughter, Elizabeth Kate Bowen of Tifton; uncles and aunts, Fred Matthews, Lou and Ed Powers and Frances Bowen; and Lillybeth, his Boston terrier.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to Brother Charlie’s Rescue Center, 326 Beech Street, Tifton, GA 31794; or the First Baptist Church of Tifton Forward in Faith Building Fund, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794.