Rex Laverne Rowe, born December 1, 1930, passed away May 6, 2021. He was the only son and youngest child of Flossie Leola (Rowe) Phillips and Virgil David Rowe. Born in Nashville, Georgia, a town close to the Florida state line with a population of just over 1,600 when Rex was born in 1930. As a child of the Great Depression, Rex learned to make do with what was available, and when things were not available, they had to be fashioned through creativity and resourcefulness.
Rex exhibited his talents at an early age and continually honed skills he learned over his lifetime. He could repair, build, rebuild, design, and create endlessly. His family of origin moved from South Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida, when he was quite young. He attended public school and joined the military at 17 years of age. Rex served in the U.S. Navy, and among his assignments, one most notable was his time as an underwater demolition team member. He attributed his ability to hold his breath underwater for long periods as one reason for being selected for this duty, noting that “early training” began in the bathtub as a child when he would stay under the water as long as he could.
It was during his assignment at Stockton, California, that he met our mother, Carmen, who was there serving as a U.S. Cadet Nurse at San Joaquin County Hospital. They married shortly after Rex’s honorable discharge and began their family in the area before moving east, first to Georgia and then to Florida. Rex was a self-starter. He read and educated himself on mechanical trades and attended night classes to gain licensure in heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. This new knowledge became the foundation of his continuous learning and skill development that led to a lifetime of work in large commercial, small business, and residential environments. Rex started his own business in addition to that of working at large operations such as Prudential Life and Anheuser-Busch to name a few. Now known as Prudential Plaza One, Prudential stood as the tallest building in the state of Florida at 22 floors until 1965. There Rex was in building services as an HVAC expert during the late 1950s and into the 1960s before gaining employment at the Anheuser-Busch Jacksonville Brewery when it opened in 1969. Rex was part of startup operations and maintenance, and remained a dedicated, highly qualified employee until his retirement in 1995.
Rex served his community wherever he lived. While a young man, he served as a lifeguard after earning certification in life guard services, CPR, and first aid. He was a deacon at Cedar Hills Baptist Church and, upon moving to the Mandarin community, he and his wife became dedicated members of Episcopal Church of Our Saviour. During his time as a Shriner, he assisted with fundraising and played drums during parades. Rex offered his services, often at no cost, to his church and friends, and responded to mechanical emergencies during the middle of the night and on weekends to keep small businesses and restaurants up and running. Rex was also a member of the Mandarin Garden Society for a period of years.
Preserving and nourishing nature was a passion of Rex’s. He and his wife Carmen enjoyed growing specimen plants and unique flowers while tending their gardens. They sought out native perennial plants and were avid seed collectors, even if a few were spirited out of a national park or two. Following retirement, Rex once again took to reading books and attending classes to gain as much knowledge and insight as he could to become a Master Gardener. He began many experiments in his gardens with a highlight one year caring for chrysalides of swallowtail butterflies over the winter until they opened. Rex took great joy in seeing new butterflies take flight in the early spring on the following year. Rex was a strong supporter and dedicated user of agricultural sciences and extension offices, applying their wisdom along with his to grow trees such as three variety of oranges, lemons, kumquats, grapefruit, banana, and avocado in his back lawn. As a result of their love for nature, a wide variety of birds and small wildlife thrived in Rex’s and Carmen’s gardens and lawn. This love of nature was deeply instilled in their children and grandchildren who grow offshoots and cuttings of plants and flowers in their own gardens and lawns.
The passing of Rex Laverne Rowe is also the passing on of the life story of Rex and Carmen Rowe. Two young people who were born during a worldwide economic depression, grew up during a second world war, and met and married toward the end of the Forgotten War, the Korean War. They stood at the front edge of a new era, an era of unforeseen scientific and technological achievements, the curing and eradication of diseases that killed and crippled thousands, and the beginning of a space age almost unimaginable by the world. Rex and Carmen were equally independent thinkers and doers, yet held steadfast in their shared belief in the merits of education, conservation, and perseverance which are also shared by their children.
Rex is preceded in death by his beloved wife Carmen Diego Rowe; grandson, Karl Rowe Fagerquist; his mother, Flossie Leola (Rowe) Phillips, and father, Virgil David Rowe; and his sisters Patsy Rowe Denmark and Hilda Rowe Kicklighter. He is survived by daughters Susan (and William) Paraska; Rexine (and Charles) Trager; Julie Rowe Fagerquist Seaman; Janet Rowe (and Debby Rogers); and son David (and Marlene) Rowe. Rex is also survived by nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
His graveside service will be held at 11:00am on May 11, 2021 at Mandarin Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, with The Reverend Joseph Gibbes officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Rex Rowe’s memory may be made to the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour (http://www.oursaviourjax.org/members/giving.aspx ), the University of Florida (https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/000067-horticultural-sciences/), or Shriner’s Hospital for Children (https://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/shc ).
Arrangements by Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin, 11801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL (904) 288-0025.
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