Billy Ray Bowles, age 59, of Taylorsville, passed away on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at Forsyth Medical Center. Billy was born on Tuesday, September 25, 1956 to the late Guy E. and Anne Lee Meadows Bowles who survives in Alexander County. He was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church for 40 years. Billy was employed at Catawba Valley Medical Center in the emergency room and later employed by Comm Scope as their company nurse. He loved spending most of his free time outdoors hiking, backpacking, white water rafting, and camping. Billy was an adventurous, outgoing, free spirit. He loved people and all of God's creation. He loved children and was a father figure to many. He was generous with his time and resources. He always had time to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. He served in the US Navy four years at camp Lejeune as a Corpsman. He earned his bachelor's degree in Nursing at Wilkes Community College. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him but never forgotten. To us he was one in a million. His last months he returned to his roots & to his Lord.

In addition to his mother he leaves to cherish his memory a brother Horace Meadows and wife Linda of Taylorsville, sister Wanda Craver and husband Jimmy of Yadkin, and one son Alan Inman of Winston-Salem, nieces, nephews, and special friends.

Visitation will be 2:00-3:00 pm Sunday, November 8, 2015 at Alexander Funeral Service with the funeral following at 3:00 pm in the Alexander Funeral Service Chapel. The Rev. Eddie Jolly, Terry Meadows, and Tony Craver will be officiating the service. Burial will take place in the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. Military rights are provided by DAV chapter 84 and 6 of Hudson. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that memorials be made to Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway; PO Box 20986; Roanoke, VA 24018 or Nature Conservancy of NC; 334 Blackwell St #300, Durham, NC 27703