Louise Bristow Dowling, 89, of Hayes, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014.
Born Oct. 28, 1925 in Franklin, Va., she was the daughter of Thomas N. Bristow and Addie Joyner Bristow. She was a loving, caring, and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
While working as a clerk typist for the U.S. Army at Fort Monroe, she met and married Donald Oliver Dowling in 1949.
She became a resident of Gloucester County in 1952 when the two of them, with their growing family, moved to the Dowling home place in the community formerly known as Coke, Va.
Louise was a longstanding member of Beech Grove Baptist Church, teaching Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, producing the church bulletin, and serving as treasurer. For many years she was an active member of the Newport News/Hampton Christian Women’s Club. She also served her community by volunteering for the PTA, Gloucester Historical Society, Gloucester Genealogical Society, and Literacy Volunteers of America. After raising her two daughters she returned to work as an executive assistant in several local CPA firms.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Donald Oliver Dowling; two daughters, Donna Dowling and her husband Francis Edwards of Albuquerque, N.M. and Weems, Va., and Debra Settle and her husband Tyler of Ashburn, Va.; a sister, Martha Koon of Portsmouth, Va.; grandsons, Jason (Stacy) Brown, Benjamin (Michelle) Settle, and Daniel Settle; great-grandsons, Jaxon, Lucas, and Luke, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family extends a heartfelt thanks to Candy, her home health aide for almost three years, for her loving care and most recently to the staff at Commonwealth Assisted Living, Gloucester House, for their kindness and compassion to the family.
A celebration of Louise’s life will be held at Beech Grove Baptist Church, 4073 Cedar Bush Road, Hayes, Va., on Monday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. Inurnment will be private.
In memory of Louise, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Gloucester Chapter, P.O. Box 1881, Gloucester, Va. 23061.
Arrangements by Hogg Funeral Home and Crematory, Gloucester Point.