Eugene DeBow, 102, passed away Thursday, June 20, 2024, at The Brook assisted living facility in Birmingham, AL. He was born to Gordon DeBow and Maudie Broderick DeBow on January 31, 1922, in Fulton, MS. He graduated from the Itawamba Agricultural High School in the class of 1940. During World War II, Gene served four years with the Tenth Air Force in the China-Burma-India theater. He was a radio operator on C-47s that flew "the Hump," airlifting supplies from bases in India and Burma, over the Himalayas, to the Chinese army in Kunming. Gene made the flight over the hump at least 200 times, after which he quit counting.

Following the war, he attended the University of Mississippi on the G.I. Bill, earning a pharmacy degree in 1951. He married the former Juanita Stone in 1948 and began what Gene would later call a "72-year romance." In 1951, they moved to Tupelo where Gene worked as a pharmacist for more than 40 years - first at Thomas-Kincannon-Elkin ("TKE") downtown, then with Super D Drugs. For a time he was the oldest licensed pharmacist in the state of Mississippi. In their spare time, Gene and Nita enjoyed traveling, gardening, and Ole Miss football. They were faithful members of Parkway Baptist Church.

Gene is survived by his two sons, Michael DeBow (Rebecca) of Birmingham and Scott DeBow of Tupelo; three grandchildren, Andrea DeBow Tackett (Ray) of Tupelo, and John DeBow and Claire DeBow Cotten (Andrew) of Birmingham; and four great-grandchildren, Lilly Grace and Colton Tackett of Tupelo, and Laurel and Ella Cotten of Birmingham.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.

Graveside Services will be at 11:00 am, Saturday, June 29, 2024 at Lee Memorial Park. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Daily Journal from Jun. 27 to Jun. 28, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Eugene DeBow

Sponsored by Lee Memorial Funeral Home - Tupelo.

3 Entries

Janet McDonald & Troy Powers

July 5, 2024

To the Family of Mr. Gene DeBow: My name is Janet McDonald from Moulton, AL. I met your dad on one occasion this past year on August 3, 2023. My dad, Troy Powers and mom Christine Powers (deceased in Oct. 2022), traveled with Mr. Paul & Shirley's traveling company with your parents on several trips. Daddy wanted to go to Birmingham to visit with your dad back in the fall and to also to carry him a sweet potato pie. It was then that I met your dad. He was truly a man of character, and he had a great personality. He shared many of the traveling stories he and daddy had with me that day. We also went out to eat, and he chose to go to Chick-fil-A, so that's where we went. He rode up front while daddy drove to the restaurant. They continued to talk as we drove there. My mom and dad always spoke very highly of your parents, and the love they had for each other. Daddy has been trying to call Mr. DeBow for the past couple of weeks to check on him. I will let daddy know that he has passed. Please accept our condolences on Mr. DeBow's passing. I am glad that I got to meet this friend of my dad's, and I'm glad that our parents shared a truly great friendship on their travels during this life here on earth. I am attaching a picture of daddy and Mr. DeBow on the day we visited. May God bless each one of you.

Jimmy Swann

July 2, 2024

Mike: This is Jimmy Swann, your seventh grade homeroom teacher at Milam Junior High in Tupelo. I am saddened to hear of the passing of your father. Men like him were my heroes. We were in Williamsburg, Virginia visiting one of our sons from June 26th until today (July 2nd). I would loved to have been here for the visitation. I think of ya´ll every day because of the big 7-E that is attached to the front wall of my shop behind my house. My e-mail is [email protected]. "Shoot" me a message sometime. Take care and "be blessed."

Greg Marshall

July 1, 2024

Great American, great man, wonderful human being, a good friend and great Christian man! He was one of the most entertaining conversationalists I've ever been around. Gene was always full of life and had a true passion for living. He absolutely loved his wife and was tremendously proud of his sons. I had never met either of his children but knew about all of their accomplishments and achievements. I hadn't seen him in a number of years, and it truly breaks my heart to hear of his passing. The world has a huge hole in it today that will take some time to heal. I very sorry for his family's loss and will pray for all.

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