Mr. David "Buddy" Barrow

David Trammell “Buddy” Barrow, native son of Bowdon, Georgia, passed away Thursday, June 17th, 2010 at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta after several weeks of failing health. He was 81. “Mayor Barrow,” as he was known to all in Bowdon, was born March 30, 1929 and was the loving son of Virginia and Hugh W. Barrow and brother of Hugh W. “Bill” Barrow and the late Virginia Ellen “Jean” Barrow Barr. Mr. Barrow graduated from Bowdon High School and attended West Georgia College and Southwestern University in Georgetown Texas. He served as president of the WGC Alumni Association for four years in the 1960’s and remained a loyal alum of West Georgia all of his life. He was a U.S. Navy veteran serving primarily in and around Cuba on the destroyer the U. S. S. Isherwood. He proudly displayed his “Tin Can Sailor” cap wherever he went and considered his service to his country to have been a true honor. After leaving the Navy, he began a lengthy and successful career as an executive in the chemical manufacturing industry beginning with Nopco in Cedartown, Georgia and retiring as general manager from E.F. Houghton Co. in Carrollton, Georgia in 1972. He and his first wife, Jo Garner Barrow, moved with their young family from Cedartown back to Bowdon in 1959 where they repurchased the Barrow House on College Street and embarked on the first restoration of the family home. Mrs. H.M. Bird, long time journalist for the Bowdon Bulletin announced the return triumphantly with the headline “Our Buddy Returns!” Mr. Barrow had a life long interest in politics and devoted his time to public service. He served as Mayor of Bowdon Georgia from 1974 through 1982 and 1996 through 1999 plus several two-year terms as a city council person. Some of the accomplishments he was most proud of as Mayor were the planning, financing and construction of Lake Tisinger, the city’s water reservoir, the completion of a major expansion and upgrading of the Bowdon water system, and the construction of the Turkey Creek water treatment plant. These accomplishments allowed the people of Bowdon to enjoy a stable water supply throughout the recent droughts. They are gifts that will serve the town for years to come. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of the Recreation/Senior Center and Copeland Hall property on Barr andTyus roads and in arranging the financing and construction of Bowdon’s Copeland Hall. Barrow served in 1981-82 as a member of the Georgia Constitutional Revision Committee, which resulted in the adoption of a modern new state constitution. In 1982 he was honored by Governor George Busbee as he was named a “FRAMER of the CONSTITUTION of the STATE OF GEORGIA.” He additionally served as Busbee’s local government Representative on the SOUTHERN GROWTH POLICIES BOARD and the INTER-UNIVERSITY TASK FORCE. He was Executive Director of the Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Development Center, a five-county planning and development agency, from 1982 until April of 1995. He returned to CFRDC at the request of the Governor on October 1, 1999 as Interim Executive Director and served in that capacity until June 30, 2000. In January of 2008 he was appointed to serve on the Chatt-Flint RDC Board of Directors by County Commission Chair Bill Chappell. Governor Joe Frank Harris recognized him in 1985 for his work in promoting the welfare of the citizens of Georgia through his service in the Regional Development Center. In 1999 he received the Georgia Municipal Association’s “LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD” recognizing his service to the Association and it’s citizens. He served as President of the GMA in 1979-80. In 1992 Governor Zell Miller appointed him as an Aide de Camp and to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Tri-State Water Issues, where he served until moving to the Florida Keys in 2002. While living near his sons in the Florida Keys, near the ocean he loved so much, he became an integral member of the Burton United Methodist Church and made many dear friends. Most importantly he met, fell in love with and married Joan Mowery Barrow with whom he returned to Georgia in 2006 to bravely undertake the latest renovation of “home”: the 100+ year old Barrow House in Bowdon. Mayor Jim Watts and the Bowdon City Council proclaimed March 1, 2008 David T. Barrow Day in Bowdon and a huge crowd of friends and family celebrated his day with him at Copeland Hall. He is survived by his wife, Joan Barrow; his children, David (Debbie) Barrow and Ken Barrow, all of Tavernier, Florida; Virginia Barrow Harman (Tracy) of Cave Spring, Georgia; Ellen Barrow Powers (Ronnie) of Wedowee, Alabama; and Olivia Christine Barrow of Dillingham, Alaska; his step-children, Melinda Ann Mowery (Dean Deurwaarder) of Vancouver, Washington, and Michael Paul Mowery (Diana) of Grove City, Ohio; five Grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial services for David Barrow will be held on Monday, June 21, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bowdon First United Methodist Church. Rev. Tommy Greer will officiate. Eulogies will be offered by Mr. Barrow’s daughter, Virginia, and his longtime friend and coworker from Chatt-Flint RDC, Mr. Bobby Buchanan. In accordance with his wishes, Mr. Barrow’s body was cremated. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mr. Barrow’s memory to the Bowdon FUMC Youth Group (P.O. Box 187, Bowdon, GA 30108) or the Bowdon Historical Society (P.O. Box 112, Bowdon, GA 30108).

Mr. David "Buddy" Barrow

March 30, 1929 - June 17, 2010

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Mr. David "Buddy" Barrow

March 30, 1929 - June 17, 2010

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