Jerry Lee Gowdy

Jerry Lee Gowdy, 71, of Ridgeville, SC, husband of Josephine Sanders Gowdy, died Thursday, April 14, 2011, in a local hospital.

Born February 22, 1940, in Elk City, OK he was the son of Bruce R. Gowdy and Vivian Springer Gowdy Sossamon.  Jerry graduated from North Charleston High School and went on to play football and graduate with a BS from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.  When Jerry returned to the Charleston area he coached football at Summerville High School from1963-1964, he then taught vocational classes at Walterboro High School.  He received his Master's degree from the Baptist College at Charleston.  Jerry served in the US National Guard.  He worked at Clemson Vocational as an Extension agent.  He was former president of the Alumni of University of Tennessee at Charleston.  He was also a member of the Tennessee Football Letterman's Association "T" Club.  Jerry was most recently the owner and operator of Charleston's Finest Historic Tours. 

   Jerry loved his family and his friends; he loved to travel.  He was an avid reader, especially reading historical books on the War Between the States and SC History.  Jerry was a member of the Son's of the Confederate Veterans Secession Camp #4 - Charleston. Jerry was one of the founding members of the Summerville Church of Christ.

   In addition to his teaching and coaching career, his avocations included raising Racing American Quarter Horses, Beagles and Olde English Bulldogs.  He had a love for animals large and small.  He also built a race car and raced it at the Summerville Speed Way.  The last days of his life he completed rebuilding a 1991 Toyota Celica for his granddaughter, Allison.  The car looked and ran brand new when he finished it just last Sunday.  He did not live long enough to give it to her personally. 

Mr. Gowdy is survived by his wife Josephine Gowdy of Ridgeville, SC; children:  James B. Gowdy of Ridgeville, SC, LeAnn G. Dugger and her husband Jeff of Lenexa, KS and Lynn O'Hear Gowdy of Summerville, SC; grandchildren, Allison Lee Dugger and Alan Thomas Dugger of Lenexa, KS; sisters, Beth Smith and her husband Steve of Mt. Pleasant, SC and Sherrie Hoover and her husband Larry of Ridgeville, SC; brother-in-law, Rupert E. Drews of James Island, SC; cousins, Clay Springer and his wife Sharon of Pensacola, FL, and Kenneth Springer of Vienna, VA; and nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held in Summerville Church of Christ, 413 Old Trolley Road, Sunday, April 17, 2011, at 2:00 PM.  Burial will be private. The family will receive friends at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., NORTHWOODS CHAPEL, 2180 Greenridge Road Saturday, April 16, 2011, between 6:00 and 8:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Summerville Church of Christ, 413 Old Trolley Road, Summerville, SC, 29485 or the Ronald McDonald House, 81 Gadsden Street, Charleston, SC 29403.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and Ashley River Towers for all of their compassionate care during Jerry's illness.