Joseph Audrey Fowler was born March 27, 1983 to Denise Rae (Verlo) Fowler and Bradley Harold Fowler in Iowa City, Iowa.   Joe passed away on May 18, 2026 in Grand Junction, Colorado.  

In 1985 Denise moved, with Joe, to West Branch, Iowa.   It was her hometown, her parents and brothers lived there too.  Joe had two cousins close to his age and they grew up together many times involved in the same activities.   

Joe spent a lot of time with his grandparents when he was young, primarily because his mother’s long work hours.  Because grandma did a lot of cooking and baking Joe did too.  He loved getting to help her and as an adult he made a career of cooking.  

Joe was involved in Scouting from Tiger Cub to Cub Scout to Boy Scout earning the rank of Eagle Scout during his senior year of high school.  Some of his favorite events were the Troop camp outs, going to the Boundary Waters, the National Jamboree, the Philmont Scout Ranch, and the trip to Jackson, Wyoming with several Scout families.

He also participated in band, playing the trumpet for six years.  Joe admitted to not trying to make first chair and was fine with being last chair.  Joe was not the most diligent student.  He and his mother had hundreds of conversations for years because of this. Ultimately their love and easy going natures got them past that.  He was fine with being a D student, his mom accepted that. 

Joe and his mother began taking road trips when he was young.  The destination was usually to visit his paternal grandparents.  However, there were a lot of stops along the way to check out other places.  Once it took seven days to get to Western Montana and only two days to return home.  The two of them traveled to Arizona, Illinois, Montana, and, Minnesota.   Joe loved getting to see his relatives on his dad’s side of the family and made many memories during the annual visits.   Traveling did not carry over into adulthood.  Joe only made a few trips to Iowa after he moved but his mom and several family members visited him regularly.  When they did, he  would happily go with them to museums, National and State Parks, and other places of interest.  

Joe joined the Army during his senior year and left for basic training two weeks after graduating in 2001.  His first deployment was with the 304th Signal Battalion (1st Signal Brigade) at Camp Colbern in South Korea.  He stayed there for his entire enlistment, returning home in 2005.  

Joe was a Food Service Specialist in the Army.  He usually had six day work weeks and liked to go hiking or snowboarding on days off.  Joe went north and took a tour of the DMZ,  went sightseeing in Seoul, and bought gifts for family.  During his time in the military he earned several medals including the National Service Medal, the. Korean Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Medal, and the Army Good Conduct Medal. 

After returning home Joe visited a few cities to help decide where to move.  Once he made his decision he loaded up his Jeep and left West Branch. He got a hotel room, found a job, rented an apartment, and called his mom the next day to let her know things were going well.  Over the next several years Joe lived in Colorado, New Mexico, and Montana, finally settling in Grand Junction.   He prepared food at assisted living homes, care centers, and cooked at many restaurants as he moved from state to state.  Even after he moved to Grand Junction he worked at several different types of restaurants.  Joe also enjoyed working at a landscaping company, a farm supply store, and a home improvement store occasionally.  

Joe was a wonderful child.  He enjoyed everything and everyone.  When he smiled his dimples showed, his eyes sparkled, and he was adorable.  Growing up he was friendly, kind, polite, cheerful, a little mischievous, easy going, and still smiled often. As a man, Joe had some difficulties in life.  He struggled at times to find enough work in a field that does not offer full time hours. He continued to be friendly, easy going, polite, and enjoyable to be around.  His smile still revealed his dimples and he was adorable.  Joe’s mom had his back his entire life.  He knew he could count on her to get through tough times and celebrate the better times with him. He was having a better time, almost the best, when he was taken from her and the world. Remember to enjoy your life, you only get to do it once. 

Joe is survived by his mother, grandmother Sheree Fowler, aunts Michelle Fowler and Lisette Verlo, uncles and aunts Arlyn and Paula Verlo, and Craig and Ellen Verlo, several cousins Andrea Verlo and her family (Mark, Brenton, Sidney, Grady, and Jaxon), Chris Verlo, Mike and Sara Verlo, Spencer and Angel Verlo, Brady Verlo, and Jeff Buckner, along with many extend family members.

 He was preceded in death by his father Brad Fowler, grandparents Audrey and Millie Verlo, Barb and Warren Willis, and Phil Fowler, uncles Eric and Wesley Verlo, and cousin April Verlo.

A memorial visitation will be held 4 to 7 P.M. Thursday, June 25, 2026 at the Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch. Celebration of life, 10:30 A.M. Friday, June 26th at the West Branch United Methodist Church, West Branch. Inunrment will be in the West Branch Cemetery.