L.A. “Sonny” Bowen, Jr., 60, of Tifton died Sunday, September 8, 2013, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2013, in the Sanctuary of Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Dr. Wayne Roe and Rev. Stephen Webb will officiate with burial to be held later in Rose Hill Cemetery in Ashburn. Monty Spinks, Michael Bennett, Bo Bennett, Dwight Dunn, Monty Veazey, Bill Murray, Farris Dotson, Billy Koran and Ray Cross will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the employees of Carr, Riggs and Ingram. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 10, 2013, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. There will be a reception of friends on Wednesday, September 11, 2013, immediately following the service in the Family Life Center of Tifton’s First Baptist Church.
Mr. Bowen was born on January 14, 1953 in Tift County and was the son of L.A. “Buddy” Bowen, Sr. and Mary Ann Beall Bowen, both deceased. He was a 1971 graduate of Tift County High School. After high school, he attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and graduated from the University of Georgia, where he received a Masters of Accountancy.
In 1985, Mr. Bowen founded Bowen Phillips CPA firm, originally known as Bowen & Harper. The firm is currently known as Carr, Riggs and Ingram CPA firm, where he was the Partner In Charge. He served in his community as the Treasurer of the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage for several years.
Mr. Bowen is survived by his wife, Carolyn Elliott Bowen of Tifton; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Mary Swims of Atlanta, Lauren and Eddie Fresh of Tifton and Anna and Lance Simpson of Saint Simons; one son, John Hasty and his fiancé, Kayla Carothers of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; two brothers and one sister-in-law, Tommy and Teresa Bowen of Atlanta and Sam Bowen of Tifton; one sister and brother-in-law, Leta Ann and Mike Bennett of Tifton; two grandchildren, James Fresh and Will Fresh; and his special nieces and nephews, Michael Bennett and his wife Lana, Mary Allison Dotson and husband Farris, Sarah Beth Bennett, Bo Bennett, Sammi Bowen and Randy Elliott and wife, Dawn.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to the ABAC Foundation Stafford School of Business, to be given to a student of accountancy, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA 31794, the Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage, P. O. Box 7362, Tifton, GA 31793 or the Boy Scouts of America, Troop #62, 107 12th Street, West, Tifton, GA 31794, where he achieved tank of Eagle Scout.