Jan Fowler

Jan Fowler passed away peacefully on October 16, 2024, at her home in Houston, Texas. Jan leaves a shining legacy of love and friendship not soon forgotten.

Jan was the daughter of the late Wayne and Maxine Mills Mitchell of Blackwell, Oklahoma, where she was born and raised. She met the love of her life and future husband, Fred, in Blackwell, in the parking lot of a Sonic drive-through. Fred was smitten upon meeting the beautiful, long-legged blonde, who refused to give him her number until she had checked him out. Fortunately, Fred passed muster and the couple married in 1965 and enjoyed 59 years of marriage.

Jan studied cosmetology, opened a salon, and supported Fred as he completed his studies at Oklahoma State University. In 1968 the couple moved to Houston where they raised their three children: Brook, Lindsay and Josh.

Jan valued family above all else and was a devoted mother who enjoyed spending time and making memories with those she loved most. Special times included packing up the car and kids on the last day of school to head to the beach in Galveston where they would spend long, idyllic summers. She encouraged and championed her children’s interests, from securing deer hunting licenses for her sons and accompanying them on early morning hunting season outings, to supporting Lindsay’s passion for modern dance – all the way to China for a dance troupe event!

Jan cared for those she brought up, and for those who did the same for her. A devoted daughter, she loved and cared for her mother, Maxine, until she passed at the age of 94 in 2015.  
Jan’s nurturing nature extended beyond family. She fell in love with English bulldogs, and they reciprocated her affection, becoming devoted companions. Jan cared for the four-legged members of her home, including Mabel and Lloyd who provided endless sloppy kisses and comfort. And she supported canine rescue organizations and causes to help bulldogs in need of homes of their own.

 She was an avid gardener; in her element mucking about in the dirt planting flower beds with her dear friend and garden partner Marcella Martinez.

 All bloomed and thrived under Jan’s watchful, caring eye: Plants, pets, and most of all, people. She could make friends in a grocery store line, at the farmer’s market, on family vacations. She had a ready smile, irresistible laugh, and a down-to-earth, straight-talk sensibility and charm.  She carried with her, always, the good-natured warmth and ease of the Oklahoma plains.

Those left to cherish her memory include husband Fred Fowler; daughter Lindsay Schima (Rob) of Cypress, Texas; son Brook (Amy) of Cypress, Texas; son Josh (Stacie) of Lumberton, Texas; sister Carol Nygren of Mesa, Arizona; grandchildren Carson, Abigail, Duke, Jack, Fred, Hope and Joe; and great grandson Beckett, soon to arrive.

 The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jan’s name be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.