William Fowler Jr.

William Ewing Fowler Jr.  left this world December 22, 2022, after a long brave battle with a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 76 in Bandera, Texas.

He was born on January 7th to parents William Ewing Fowler Sr. and Lynda Eugenia Crawley-Fowler in Washington, DC in the winter of 1946.

His family moved to Austin in 1955.  Bill was a bit mischievous.  He was an Eagle Scout, loved wild pig hunting, and had a passion for cars and boats.

He began his education at Eanes Elementary school and graduated from the original Austin High School in 1964.

He met the love of his life Clarice Mae Blaschke in 1964 at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos.  They were married March 23, 1968 and spent the next 54 years together.

Bill served his country in the Army National Guard from 1968 to 1976.  He was proud of his service but had an aversion to sleeping outside afterward.  He preferred “camping” in an RV or on a boat.  Bill loved boats.

His work included many years in sales in the electronics division of Motorola moving his family to Alabama and Georgia in the early 1980’s.  In 1989 the family moved back to Austin.  Bill bought an excavation company that he renamed Shermar, a combination of his two daughters names, Sheree and Marcella.  His hard work and high standards made his company a success. Many of his clients became friends, and Bill always treated his employees like family.

Bill liked to entertain.  His outgoing nature and warm smile earned him many friends over the years.  He “never met a stranger” and his endless stories and jokes were legendary.

Bill is survived by his wife Clarice Fowler, his daughters Sheree (Kurt) Beddingfield, Marcella (Cole) Smith, his four grandchildren Sawyer, Hollister, Sadie and Porter, his sister Ethel Mazurek, nephew Wil Mazurek and numerous close family members.

The family will hold a celebration of life later in Austin.