Mary Jo (Lee) Fowler (http://www.legacy.com/Script/CounterRedirect.asp?Name=GBLink_Top&Jump=/statesman/LegacySubPage2.asp&Page=GuestBook&PersonID=1575 7056) Mary Jo (Lee) Fowler Mary Jo (Lee) Fowler, a longtime Austin resident, died Wednesday November 16, 2005, at the age of 79, at Buckner Villas in Austin. She was born in Bogata, Texas, on April 25, 1926, to Eddie and Sadie (Chance) Lee. The family moved to Paris, Texas, where she spent most of her early life, attending Paris schools and Calvary United Methodist Church. Mary Jo graduated from Paris High School in 1943 and from Paris Junior College (PJC) in 1945. While attending PJC she achieved both scholastic and athletic recognition. Her trophies are still on display at the school. In 1947 she received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Bacteriology and a minor in Mathematics. She married Trenton Coke Fowler of Corpus Christi on July 20, 1947. They had two children, Cynthia Lee Fowler and Burt Wayne Fowler. After residing in multiple locations in the southwest, the Fowler family moved to Austin in 1963. Shortly after graduation from UT she worked at Celanese near Kingsville, Texas. After moving to Austin, she joined the Texas Health Department (THD) as a microbiologist. She enjoyed teaching and as part of her responsibilities at the THD presented workshops and seminars. She retired from the Texas Health Department in 1988 after 25 years of service. She was an active member of Memorial United Methodist Church for over four decades and taught the Sunshine Sunday School Class for many years. She was fond of reading, gardening, and square dancing. She enjoyed meeting new people and stimulating conversation. She adored children and took a strong interest in the activities of her own children, supporting their interests in sports, band, theater, science and academic study. Mary Jo will be remembered by family and friends for her love and dedication to family, her generous, calm and gentle nature, her intellectual curiosity, her kindness to others, her strong enduring devotion to the Christian faith and traditional family values, and her beautiful, never-ending smile. She is survived by daughter, Cynthia Fowler and son-in-law, John Meligeni of Mendham, N.J.; son, Burt Fowler and daughter-in-law, Lisa Fowler; granddaughter, Mary Nicole Fowler; grandson, Jason Ramos Fowler, all of Mountain City, Texas; brothers, Dennis Lee and Ridjell Lee, and sister-in-law, Marie Lee all of Paris, Texas; a niece, Stacy Jarvis; and nephews, Scott Lee, John Lee, and Thomas Lee. She was preceded in death by her husband Trenton Fowler, two infant children, her parents, sister-in-law Margie Lee, and niece Carmen Lee Burks. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 on Wednesday November 30th at the Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 N. Lamar, Austin, TX. An additional visitation will be held on Thursday, December 1st at 1:00 p.m., followed by funeral services at 2:00 p.m. at Memorial United Methodist Church, 6100 Berkman Dr. in Austin, Texas. Interment will follow at Cook Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery, 14501 N I-35 in Pflugerville, Texas. The family is grateful to the members of Memorial United Methodist Church for their support; the members of the Ramos family for their generous love and kindness; Richard Forer for his assistance; and to the staff at Buckner Villas for their compassion, dedication, and excellent care. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in the name of Mary Jo Fowler to the Memorial Fund of the Memorial United Methodist Church, 6100 Berkman Drive, Austin, TX 78723 or to the Alzheimer's Association (Attention Donor Services), 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60601 or www.alz.org. Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 11/27/2005. _Guest Book_ (http://www.legacy.com/Script/CounterRedirect.asp?Name=GBLink_Bottom&Jump=/statesm an/LegacySubPage2.asp&Page=GuestBook&PersonID=15757056) • _Funeral home info_ (http://www.legacy.com/statesman/LegacysubPage2.asp?Page=Directions&PersonID=15757056) • _Flowers_ (http://www.legacy.com/statesman/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=FlowersAndGifts&PersonID=15757056) _Gift Shop_ (http://www.legacy.com/Script/CounterRedirect.asp?Name=GSLink_Bottom&Jump=/statesman/Condolences.asp?PersonId=15757056) • _Charities_ (http://www.legacy.com/statesman/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=Charities&PersonID=15757056) ____________________________________