Everette Wayne Bowie

Everette Wayne Bowie of Olive Branch, MS, WWII and Korean War veteran, and retired pharmacist, died on February 27, 2015, at the age of 88. He was born on March 8, 1926, in McCool, MS, where he lived until entering the Navy after graduation. He served as a medical corpsman at Camp Lejeune, NC, where he spent most of his term attending a famous burn case. Upon discharge, he attended Ole Miss Pharmacy School.

He began his practice in Memphis at Methodist Hospital in 1950, but a year later the Navy recalled him to Bainbridge Naval Station, MD, to repurpose a dilapidated building into a pharmacy. In 1952, he returned to Memphis to work at Walgreens and later established his own pharmacy, Bowie Drug Store. When it closed, he worked at Crooks Rexall Pharmacy where he became the first non-owner president of the Memphis and Shelby County Pharmaceutical Society. As president, he convinced South Central Bell to change the Yellow Pages listing from “Druggists” to “Pharmacists.” The Society recognized him in 1966 for outstanding service to the profession. In 1973, the store moved to Southaven, MS, to become the first pharmacy in the small town. There Mr. Bowie became active in the Mississippi Pharmaceutical Association, chaired District 1, and was selected by the Ole Miss Pharmacy School dean as one of fifteen charter preceptors, teaching practical aspects of pharmacy to graduating seniors. He was honored as the first Preceptor of the Year. He later opened his own store in Southaven, State Line Apothecary, where he instituted the family record system. In 1982 he was awarded the A. H. Robbins Bowl of Hygeia Award, an annual honor given to one pharmacist in each state for a career of community service. After he retired in 1992, he volunteered at various polling sites and extensively researched his family tree.

Everette believed in community service. In 1966, he was honored by the Memphis PTA with a lifetime membership for outstanding service as president and keeping order as busing began. In 1967, he began three years of service on the Southwest Area Advisory Council for Memphis City Schools, the last as president, where he authored resolutions to educate pregnant girls and to establish women’s sports in high schools. In 1975, the American Cancer Society recognized him for organizing, running, and decentralizing chapters in DeSoto County. He devoted many years to educating community groups about the dangers of drug abuse. He was active in his neighborhood associations, especially Wedgewood, where he served on the Board of Directors in several capacities including Executive Director, represented residents on zoning issues, and wrote the community newsletter. At Olive Grove Terrace, his most recent residence, he chaired the Residents’ Council and authored a column in the facility’s newsletter. He was active in his churches, first at Grace UMC and then at Getwell Road UMC, serving on various committees, teaching Sunday School, and ushering.

Visitation will be on Friday, March 6, from 1-2 PM, and the funeral services will be on Friday, March 6, at 2 PM at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue, followed by interment at Memorial Park. Everette was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Inez Bowie, April 24, 2012. He is survived by his daughters Janis (Ron) Risley of Memphis, TN, and Cheryl Cavins, of Olive Branch, MS; brother, Guy Bowie of Gulfport, MS; sisters, Ruby Jones of Baton Rouge, LA, and Shirley (Douglas) Perez of Pascagoula, MS; grandchildren, Jason Risley of Memphis, TN, and Jennifer (Billy) Cahoon of Richmond, VA; and many other close family and friends. Memorials in his honor may be sent to Forever Young Senior Veterans Wish or Getwell Road United Methodist Church. Online condolences and floral tributes may be offered at www.memphisfuneralhome.net.