Funeral Services for Melvyn Douglas Bowie will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 24, 2025 in the chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home, Pineville with Bro. Charles Hutzler officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Ball.

Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until shortly before time of services in the funeral home on Monday.

Melvyn Douglas Bowie, beloved husband, father, pawpaw, and friend left this world at Rapides Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at the age of 86 surrounded by family and friends. He was born on March 26, 1939 in Alexandria, Louisiana and lived a full life marked by his love of family, carpentry, and auto mechanics.

Melvyn was a Tioga High School Alumni class of ’57. He worked for 30 years Civil Service at Camp Beauregard. After retirement, he worked 10 years in auto parts where he met many friends. He was also a member of the Tioga Commissary Historical Society for many years.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John M. and Beatrice Bowie, son Tracy Bowie, sisters Gladys Derryberry and Anita Brasher.

He is survived by the love of his life of 63 years Ruth Bowie, his sons Doug (Karla), Michael (Jennifer), Arthur Foret (Christina), grandchildren Kelsie Briggs (Cody), Austin Bowie, Alexis Foret, David Foret, Eric Foret and numerous great-grandchildren.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers are Doug Bowie, Michael Bowie, Austin Bowie, Francis Harper, Ricky Bishop, and Robert Mayeaux (Shorty).

Honorary pallbearers are Charles Blackshear, Arthur Foret, and Ronnie Canoe.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Tioga High School Field House Building Fund, 1207 Tioga Road, Ball, LA 71405 or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or by visiting stjude.org/donate.