Aubrey Lee Bowers

Mr. Aubrey Lee Bowers, passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at the age of 101.  Aubrey was born on June 28, 1924 in a 2-story frame house on Lexington Avenue in Thomasville, NC to Curtis Foster Bowers and Hallie Kennedy Bowers.  He was the youngest of their four sons.  His siblings, Lowell Bowers, Cletus Bowers, and Willis Bowers have preceded him in death.  He was also preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Marie Godfrey Bowers and a great-granddaughter, Alexis Nichole Bowers.  He is survived by his three children, Roger Bowers (Jan) of Gibsonville, NC, Linda Voyles of Strongsville, OH, and Jeff Bowers (Angie) of Danville, VA, along with eight grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

He lived his entire life in Thomasville, a town he loved, until recently when circumstances dictated moving him to an assisted living facility in Burlington, NC and then a skilled nursing facility in McLeansville, NC.  He loved following his beloved Thomasville High Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, Atlanta Braves, and whoever his children and grandchildren were fans of.  He knew a great number of residents in Thomasville and surrounding area and a greater number knew him.

Aubrey began working delivering the morning edition of the Greensboro Daily News papers on his bicycle at the age of 13 for Virgil Ward, that lasted for 5 years for the sum of one cent per paper.  After graduating from Thomasville High School, he had hoped to attend Duke University, but he started working for Thomasville Chair Co. (later renamed Thomasville Furniture Industry) as a Stock Clerk III to help his family.  Thirteen months later, World War II beckoned and he joined the US Navy.  His US Navy induction was on April 5, 1943 and his training included 19 weeks at Bainbridge, MD and 6 weeks (Compool) at Noroton HTS, Conn.  He served 2 years and 11 months and 18 days as Radioman III Class, primarily on SS Alexander Graham Bell, a Liberty Class ship.  While stationed on Alexander Graham Bell, he survived a torpedo attack that disabled the ship in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy in 1944.  His last deployment was to Tokyo Bay after Japan surrendered in 1946, receiving and delivering communications to Pacific Headquarters General Douglas MacArthur office.  His medals included American Area, Victory World War II, Asiatic Pacific Area, and European African Area.  After returning from US Navy service, he worked a short time for Thomasville Chair Co. when a friend, Paul Sink, enlisted him to assist in wiring a furniture factory in Lexington, NC for Paul’s dad, Bob Sink’s company, Sink, Inc. of Lexington Ave. in Thomasville.  Thus began Aubrey’s electrical career that he continued into his early-80's  initially for Sink, Inc., then for Carl Benfield at Piedmont Electric Repair, later renamed Central Electric of Thomasville.  His specialty was electric motor repair and rewinding.  On January 7, 1949, he married his sweetheart, Mary Marie Godfrey at First Baptist Church in Thomasville.  They were sweethearts for over 66 years of marriage until her passing on July 26, 2015.  He was a life-long member of Calvary United Church of Christ in Thomasville, where he will be laid to rest in their cemetery alongside his sweetheart Marie.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Calvary Church 1410 Lexington Avenue, Thomasville, NC 27360 with Rev. Roland Cavanaugh officiating.  Interment will follow in Calvary Church Cemetery.  The family will receive friends for visitation prior to the service at the church from 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM.  The family would like to thank the staff of Brookdale Burlington Assisted Living in Burlington, NC, Ashton Rehab and Skilled Nursing in McLeansville, NC, Liberty Hospice Care of Burlington, NC for their care and compassion.  Also, the family would like to thank, Tracy Livengood, for her compassionate care while dad was still at home.  Online condolences may be sent to www.jcgreenandsons.com.

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