Local family in mourning after traffic crash

By Deborah Buckhalter

Published: July 14, 2008

A Jackson County family is in mourning today following the loss of a loved one in a traffic accident Sunday.
Bonifay resident Timothy Robert “Rob” Fowler, 25, died in a one-vehicle crash in the Round Lake community, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Fowler was driving a Dodge Neon northbound on U.S. 231 around 2:30 a.m. Sunday when he entered a sweeping right curve and lost control of the vehicle, according to FHP reports.
The car traveled across the southbound lanes and onto the west shoulder, went up an embankment and struck a tree.
According to reports, the car split in half and caught fire. It rolled over, struck another tree and continued to burn.
Fowler was pronounced dead at the scene, FHP reports stated.
Fowler was the son of Donna Toole Fowler of Malone. His father and stepmother, Tim and Kim Fowler, live in Gulfport, Miss. Several other relatives live in Jackson County, including his grandparents Don and Martha Benton of Malone and Don and Estelle McKee and Hollie and Patricia Fowler of Graceville. His great-grandparents Alex and Lounelle Toole live in Graceville, and he has other local relatives as well.
Among Fowler’s other survivors are his wife, Bonifay resident Whitney Day Fowler and their infant daughter, Emma Grace Fowler.
In the wake of her father’s death, trust fund has been set up for the child at Peoples Bank of Graceville.
Fowler had worked at Golden Peanut in Graceville until about three weeks ago, when he took a job at the Marianna branch of the Altha Farmers Co-op.
Ryan Williams, the manager there, said he and Fowler got to know each other about six months ago as fellow golfers.
Williams said Fowler quickly proved to be a real asset at work.
“He was great guy, really energetic. He did a little bit of everything here, and he was really good with people, with dealing with the public. Everyone enjoyed being around him.”
Sam Andrew, a co-worker, also said Fowler was quickly becoming a key employee there as well as a friend.
“He did so much more for me than I did for him,” Andrew said. “He was growing fast as an asset. He was a people-person and we’re still in shock. We’re going to miss him.”
Fowler graduated from Graceville High School in 2001.