Charles Michael "Mike" Bowen

Charles Michael (Mike) Bowen died On Saturday, September 23rd from complications due to a decade long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  He never complained about his illness and accepted it with equanimity.

He is survived by two daughters:  DeDee Bowen Conneff of Ellabell, Ga, and Trixy Bowen Palager of Helen, Ga; six grandchildren:  Brandy Daniel Snell of Metter, Elizabeth Conneff Fairbanks of Ellabell, Ga, Caitlin Claire Conneff of Ellabell, Christiaan Alexander Bowen Schrimpf of Grants Pass, Oregon, Madelyn (Maddie) Rose Paloger and Avalon (Ava) Paloger, both of Helen; three great grandsons: Hudson and Harrison Snell of Metter, and Lincoln Fairbanks of Ellabell; one great granddaughter: Charlotte Fairbanks of Ellabell; a sister and brother:  Carole B. Juray and Ben G. Bowen III, both of Atlanta.

Mike was a lifelong member of the Metter Primitive Baptist Church, as were his father and his grandfather Bowen.

Mike was born in Metter on May 26th, 1938, the son of B. G. Bowen, Jr. and Murl Tillery Bowen.  He was an honor graduate of Metter High School and graduated in 1960 from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Management.  He also graduated in 1963 from the General Electric Company’s Financial Management Program.

Mike had three vocations and many avocations.  He worked for the General Electric Company (GE) in Louisville, KY, Daytona Beach, FL, and Memphis, TN.  During his 9 years in Daytona Beach, he worked in various financial areas on the Apollo moon landing program.  Mike was Manager-Financial Planning for the Memphis Nuclear Energy Division of GE when in 1974 he resigned to return to Metter and enter the banking business.  When in 1989 the Metter Banking Company was sold to BB&T, Mike began teaching banking and finance at Georgia Southern University, which he did for the next 8 years.

During these adult years in Metter, Mike was an executive at Metter Banking Company and a member of its board of directors, Chairman of the Candler County Development Authority, Chairman of Candler County Chamber of Commerce, President of Willow Lake Country Club, member of the board of directors of the Georgia Bankers Association, member of Candler County Hospital Board, Metter/Candler County Airport Authority, and President of Modern Finance Company.  He was a past president and thirty-year member of the Metter Rotary Club.

Mike always said work interfered with his many hobbies which included amateur (Ham) radio, W4CYJ, playing bridge, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, private airplane pilot, photography, hot air ballooning, snow skiing, snowmobiling, and RVing.

The day he became an octogenarian a friend asked Mike what he had remaining on his Bucket List.  Mike replied, “Nothing well, I would have liked to put a foot in North Dakota and Hawaii, but forty eight out of fifty is pretty good.”

The family wishes to express its sincere thanks to the staff at Southern Manor (formerly Cedar Plantation).  The family is deeply grateful for the help and kindness of Sheryl Bowen.

The visitation is scheduled for Saturday, September 30th at Metter Primitive Baptist Church from 1:00 - 2:45.  The funeral will follow visitation at 3:00 at Metter Primitive Baptist Church with Brother Mike Newman presiding.

Kennedy Funeral Homes, Hooks Chapel, is in charge of the arrangements.