Virginia Faye Sewell Fowler

Virginia Faye Sewell Fowler, 81, of Angleton, passed away, in the presence of her loving family, in Lake Jackson, Texas, following a brief struggle with cancer.

Virginia was born in Waurika, Oklahoma on September 18, 1943, the second daughter of Homer and Mary Sewell. She was raised in Melvin Texas, along with her sisters Joyce and Linda. Later, her family moved to Clute, Texas and then to Angleton, Texas, where Virginia attended Angleton High School.

She met the love of her life, Sammy Fowler, at a football playoff game in Wharton, Texas in the autumn of 1959. As Sammy reflected, “I was at playoff game in Wharton with my friend Pat Roberts. The weather was cold. As we were freezing, Pat spotted two girls under a blanket. He knew one of them. He told me, ‘Let’s go sit with them. Maybe we can share their blanket.’ We also shared a car ride home that night. Virginia was the only girl I ever dated.” They were married at the Church of Christ in Angleton the following year on August 8, 1960. Virginia and Sammy recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

As Sammy was serving in the Air National Guard, they lived in South Houston before moving to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, and, finally, to Angleton in 1964, where they raised three daughters: Leandra, Kristina, and Samantha. Virginia was an accomplished seamstress, she enjoyed sewing her daughters’ twirling and dance costumes when they were young. She enjoyed the family gatherings at the beach house in Sargent, the cabin at Lake of the Pines, the cabin at Brazos Bend, and the ranch house near Rocksprings.

Along with being a mother, Virginia worked outside the home, assisting Sammy in a variety of businesses, including selling Bede Aircraft kits and serving clients at Sam's TV in Angleton. After Sammy retired from the Air National Guard and sold the TV shop, Virginia and he worked as dealer-trade drivers for Gulf Coast Auto Park in Angleton for more than 20 years. Virginia especially enjoyed driving the new cars and even took a few for herself.

Aside from driving, Virginia enjoyed cruising. She and Sammy cruised to Alaska, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and through the Panama Canal. They also traveled to all 50 of the United States, Ireland, and Scotland. She was an avid collector of jewelry and antiques, particularly Depression glass, Sabino, Belleek ceramics, and cookie jars. She has an outstanding collection of over 1000 cookie jars exhibited throughout her home.

Virginia was preceded in death by her daughter, Leandra Harvey; sisters, Joyce Grosshans and Linda Jones; and her parents, Homer and Mary Sewell.

Virginia is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, Sammy Fowler of Angleton; daughter Kristina Davis of Jones Creek, daughter Samantha Fowler of West Columbia, son-in-law James

Harvey and wife Colleen of Angleton; brother-in-law Terry Fowler and wife Tammy of Pearland; brother-in-law Tim Jones of Angleton; grandsons Kaleb Boazman of Brazoria; Brent Davis of Angleton; granddaughters Emily Garcia of Clute; Teegan Garcia of West Columbia; Krystle Sargent and husband Wade of Wharton; Kassie Parsons and husband Garrett of Kemah; Katrina Davis of Jones Creek; great grandchildren Zachari Boazman; Eric Boazman; Valerie Garcia-Guerra; Sienna Garcia-Guerra; Peyton Fowler; Travis Sargent; Jasper Sargent; Aurora Sargent; Hunter Ross; Grant Ross; niece Mendy Sparkman and husband Floyd of Angleton; nephew Tobey Jones of Lake Jackson; nephew Sammy Jones of Angleton; nephew Justin Caylor and wife Audrey of Lingleville; and niece Teresa Mills and husband Mike of Midland.

As Virginia requested, there will be no memorial service. If you want to commemorate her memory, you can donate to cancer research or the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge.

Special thanks to Samantha Fowler and Mendy Sparkman, and to the staff of Oak Village Healthcare for assisting Virginia in her final days.

Virginia will be remembered for always wanting to go for car rides; even though her travels here have ended, her journey continues.