Tom Bowers

Thomas (Tom) Francis Bowers, age 66, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully from stage 3 cancer of the throat on January 16, 2026.

Tom was born June 1, 1959, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the first of six children born to Barbara and George Valentine Bowers. He moved to Fort Walton Beach. Florida, in 1960, a place he always called "Home".

He is predeceased by his father, George V. Bowers, and his brother, Robert (Bob) Bowers.

He is survived by his mother, Barbara Bowers, his four sisters, Peggy (Philip) Watts, Debbie Bowers, Rosie Bowers, Lisa (Wraith) Drake, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

His childhood was spent doing what most boys usually do: youth baseball, scouts (Cub Scout, Weblos Scout, and Boy Scout), fishing, surfing, hanging out in the woods, swimming, etc. He attended St. Mary Catholic School, New Heights Elementary School, Bruner Middle School, and Fort Walton Beach High School, class of 1977. He was on the swim team at FWBHS, leading the war for his sisters and brother-all were swimmers.

After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy Hospital Corps, where he did basic training in Orlando before being stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois, where he completed the Emergency Medical Services Program to become an Emergency Medical Technician. He was on naval ships in Europe and the Mediterranean before spending time at Camp LeJeune, from where he was honorably discharged after 6 years of service.

After the Navy, Tom was an orthopedic technician at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center for several years before going to St. Petersburg to care for his grandmother and work at Bayfront Hospital as an orthopedic tech. Upon returning "home," he graduated from Okaloosa-Walton Community College with an AA degree.

Tom substituted in the Okaloosa District School system, coached swimming at Bruner Middle School, and worked for General Dynamics. Tom enjoyed painting and working with stained glass. He loved camping and fishing in his Jon boat in the waters of Cinco Bayou to Shalimar, Destin, and Panama City Beach.

A funeral service in Tom's honor and legacy will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 10:00 AM, with a visitation one hour before the service. FTR John Licari will be the celebrant. Burial will take place immediately after the funeral mass at Beal Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Westwood Nursing Facility for their compassionate care and support.