Charles Campbell Sowers Jr.

Born: October 6, 1941, Radford, VA, father: Charles Campbell Sowers, Sr. mother: Hazel Hagy Sowers

Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, he served during the Vietnam Conflict on the USS Providence, which was the Admiral’s flagship, spending time in Vietnam and Japan. He served active duty for 9 ½ years, then 12 years of Naval Reserves to be able to retire. While in the Navy Reserves, he worked for McDonnell Douglas, Florida Farm Bureau and Walt Disney World, Co. He started working in the lock-up for the Magic Kingdom, working his way up through several departments until he finally retired from the WDW, Co. in the Computer Security department as a computer technician/supervisor. His hobbies included golf, bicycling, camping, hiking, and family. Often he and his wife, Imelda, would ride their bikes down the West Oaks Trail from Clermont to Apopka and back. He was an avid outdoorsman, and it was no surprise to anyone who knew him when he took off on his own periodically to camp and hike in Ocala Forest or the Appalachian Trail. In his ‘Disney’ years, he thoroughly enjoyed taking his children, then his grandchildren and nieces and nephews, to the Disney parks all year ‘round. While there, he would stop and talk to anyone and everyone, noticing people looking lost, or pointing out “hidden Mickeys” and other trivia to children and guests to the park. We all said he was sprinkled with “Pixie dust” whenever he was there.

He was the big brother who made sure his sister was looked after and protected when they were growing up in Virginia, and in their older years, as well. He took care of his mother until she passed, and made sure she always had everything she needed. Before she died, one of the last things he and his mother did together was take a week-long trip across the U.S. having rented an RV so they could travel in comfort and at their leisure, something she had wanted to do for a very long time.

He was the type of dad who would drop everything and surprise his children at school or at their home to share a cup of coffee or take them out for lunch or dinner. He was able to see all three of his children married and happy, as he and his wife set such a great example of true love and marriage. He loved each child, and grandchild, in their own special way, and remembered each in ways they could only appreciate. Getting down on one knee to their eye level, he made you feel as if everything you said was of utmost importance, and that he had all the time in the world.

At church, he was a dedicated deacon, Bible class teacher, elder, and friend to everyone. He organized the young people at church and took them on camping excursions, social outings, to Disney, and treated each of them as special, also. Even in his later years, and when the cancer was taking his stamina and speech, the younger members would wait to speak to him, or shake his hand, and always looked up to him as a mentor and on him as a friend. He would often and always give to less fortunate members or visitors, always willing to give a ride, directions, or just a shoulder to lean or cry on.

He was preceded in death by his grandson, John Fredrik Maddocks, III.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Imelda Cravens Sowers, his children, Nancy Sowers Hart (husband, Bill), Michelle Sowers Maddocks (husband, John) and Eric Charles Sowers (wife, Kimberly), his sister, Kathy Sowers MacMichen and 8 grandchildren, (Will Hart, Jack Maddocks, Deanna Maddocks, Philip Maddocks, Heather Maddocks, Kaley Sowers, Sierra Sowers, and Lucy Maddocks).

Arrangements have been entrusted to Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Gotha, Florida.

Service will be on Monday, March 9, 2015 at 2:00 in the funeral home followed by a graveside military salute.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to please consider making a donation to http://glioblastoma-research.org or the Save A Brain Foundation at http://saveabrainfoundation.org/ in his name.

Condolences may be offered at www.woodlawnfuneralhomegotha.com