Stephen "Steve" Franklin Fowler
December 31, 1950 - October 19, 2023

On October 19 at 11:27 AM, Steve Fowler left this earth for his eternal rest. If you knew Steve, you know what a remarkable person he was - every moment with him was an adventure, a celebration, an exploration or often all of the above. He jumped into every endeavor feet first with an irresistible enthusiasm.

Steve was born on New Year's Eve in 1950 and was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He was an athlete at Messick High School, excelling at track and football. Steve graduated at a time when the Vietnam war had peaked and was proud to have served in the US Coast Guard.

He ended his service in Corpus Christi, where he met the love of his life, Debbie Zafereo. They were blessed with 43 years together in September. Although they never had any human babies, they both had an affinity for animal rescue from the very beginning of their relationship. They practiced TNR before it even had an acronym, as well as rescuing and bottle feeding many orphaned kittens.

Steve was one of the most empathetic and nurturing men you could ever meet. He decided later in life to become a nurse and discovered his true calling. He worked in local nursing homes where he was always the residents' favorite. If you had to send your loved one to a nursing facility, you would be so lucky to have Steve taking care of them. He was also very popular with his CNAs because he would assist them in all their duties and  train them about the importance of compassion and teamwork. Many of them are all still in the field and credit Steve for teaching them how to be a great health care provider.

Steve was a self proclaimed nerdy geek. He loved science fiction, especially Star Trek - ALL of the Star Treks. He loved DC Comics but never dissed Marvel. He was an amateur paleontologist/archaeologist with an extensive knowledge of dinosaurs and a huge fossil collection. Steve built amazing WWII military models and dioramas. He loved nature, wildlife and plumerias. Their front and back yard is always full of squirrels, birds and hummingbirds. Debbie and Steve loved to walk on Malaquite beach with the dogs and also go play endlessly long pool games due to their lack of skill. They loved taking Ralphie and Dolli to Choke Canyon every Christmas for a Glamping trip in a shelter with all the amenities. They also shared an obsession with thrifting & garage sales, which they referred to as "recycling."

Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Bonnie Fowler, as well as his brother, Lee. Also his sister and brother-in-law Marjorie Zafereo Cosgrove and Paul Cosgrove.

He is survived by his adoring wife Debbie and their fur babies - two dogs Ralphie and Dolli plus cats Rainbow, Sunshine and Cheech (yes, he was also an old hippie). His human survivors other than Debbie were his sisters and brothers-in-law Linda Zafereo Gregg and David Gregg, Patti Zafereo Pearson and Tom Pearson. Also his 5 favorite nephews Jeff (Katie) Gregg and Jason (Carrie) Gregg, Matt (Rachel) Pearson, Kevin (Brooke) Pearson and Keith (Jen) Pearson, as well as his 10 great nieces and nephews.

Last but not least, Steve had his bonus family. He worked with and trained many CNAs and nursing students and remained in contact with them until his very last day. Debbie would like to acknowledge his honorary daughters/BFFs for their love and support of them both. They are: Deserai Barrazas, Lori Bueno, Amanda Duarte, Cassy Gonzales, Cheryl Grace and Dahlia Hinojosa.

Steve hated ceremony, pomp, etc. In lieu of flowers and other superfluous matters, Debbie is requesting that you raise a glass to Steve each New Year's Eve and make a Happy Birthday toast to her beloved husband.

There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart." – Gandhi