Philip Wayne Bowlin

Philip Wayne Bowlin, 78, of Fayetteville, passed away on June 2nd, 2020. He will be missed by the waitstaff who served him free pie on Wednesdays at the local Village Inn, the employees of the Chickfil-A drive-through who gave him his senior discounts on ice-cream cones, and the sales teams of car lots throughout the nation, who knew him best as a frequent window shopper. Born in Denison, Texas, on December 8, 1941, Phil thrived as an ornery ragamuffin in both the Mojave desert and Bay Area of California, where he shined shoes, washed dishes, swept floors for an electric company, and stocked groceries before enlisting in 1964 in the U.S. Army. Eventually working as part of the branch's intelligence services, he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, where he ran track, boxed competitively, and traveled more than he probably should have. The beloved rapscallion graduated from Arkansas Tech with a degree in Political Science and worked for a time afterward in the icy tundra of Alaska's North Slope, so he could scrape together enough money to attend the University of Arkansas School of Law. He married well above his station and found joy in helping others as a workforce coordinator for the Arkansas state government. He is survived by his beautiful wife, Brenda; his lovely sisters, Jan Archuletta, Marilyn Condos, Zanita Bowlin, Kelbi Reed, and Jerri Lotze; his industrious brother, Michael Archuletta; his handsome sons, Ryan and Barrett; his brilliant daughter-in-law, Caroline; his adoring grandchildren, Sierra and Cormac; and his two guardian Bichon Frisés, Callie and Sassy. Although a public ceremony honoring his memory won't be held at this time due to the current pandemic, the family has requested donations of toys and gifts be made to the Arkansas Children's Northwest Hospital, 2601 Gene George Boulevard, Springdale, Ark. 72762. Arrangements under the direction of Nelson Funeral Service. Online condolences may be sent to the family at nelsonfuneral.com. © Nelson Funeral Service, Inc. 2020.