SOUTH PARIS – Thomas Roosevelt Bowlin, 66, died at home Friday, April 30, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous nine-month battle with leukemia.

He was born Nov. 24, 1937, in Fort Smith, Ark. After graduating from Van Buren, Ark. High School, he followed his two older brothers into military service. He was often heard to say that he grew up during his 21 years in the United States Navy, as he proudly served aboard ships and stations throughout the world. Some early duties included participation in the last U.S. atmospheric tests of atomic and hydrogen weapons in 1958 while aboard the USS Boxer, and at NAS Key West as an air traffic controller. He later served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk and earned the Presidential Unit Citation and numerous other medals and awards for service at CamRahn Bay in Vietnam. He also served aboard the USS Shangri-la.

In 1970, he proudly attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer. At the time of his retirement in 1976 he was serving aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt as air traffic supervisor. He settled in Brunswick, Ga., studied at Brunswick Community College and graduated from Georgia Southern College with a degree in business administration and accounting. He then spent more than 20 years in a successful carrier with the Georgia Revenue Department and in his own private accounting firm.

He is survived by his loving wife Patricia of South Paris; his daughters, Tammy Strickland and her husband Kirk of Buena Vista, Ga., Toni Reynolds and her husband Wayne of Eatonton, Ga., and Teri Kunes and her husband Bruce of Pittsburgh, Pa.; stepchildren, Douglas French of South Paris, Dodi Turney of Annandale, Va., Loree French of Green Acres, Fla., Randy Gantt, and Steve and Bobby Spurlock, all of Brunswick, Ga.; brothers, David and his wife Minnie of Bossier City, La., and Patrick and his wife Betty of Des Moines, Iowa. He also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.