Willard Garfield Bowers, 89, died Wednesday, June 16, 2021, following a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma.

He was born March 29, 1932, in Wilkes County, N.C., to the late Otis Bowers and Thelma Bowers.

He was married January 27, 1952, to the late Polly Ann Wilson and attended Cool Spring School with the Class of 1951. He was a member of Front Street Baptist Church, having served on the Fellowship Committee over the years. He worked at Kewaunee Scientific and later started Scientific Drafting Services. He loved Bluegrass music and served as a judge for many festivals throughout the years. He generously donated his many talents to design and build cabinets for Fifth Street Ministries as well as library furniture for Monticello Elementary and N.B. Mills Elementary. Among many of his altruistic projects, he also designed and built specialized classroom furniture for several local schools in Iredell and Davie counties. He donated to The Veterans House at 1208 Wilson Lee Boulevard in Statesville, designed a fellowship hall for New Salem Church in Davie County, and was a consultant for the Fort Dobbs Project.

He is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Morrison; a grandson, Matthew Morrison and his wife Tasnuva Zaman; and a sister, Mae Marcil and her husband Jim, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He counted Roger Roark and the late Wakefield Bentley among his closest friends.

Mr. Bowers will lie in state at Troutman Funeral Home on Monday, June 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. His nephew, the Rev. Brian Eades, will officiate services at Troutman Funeral Home Chapel on Monday at 2:30 p.m. followed by graveside services at Iredell Memorial Gardens (now Park) at 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Willard Bower’s honor to the organization of your choice.

Troutman Funeral Home is serving the family.