02/18/2026
Earlier this month, our community lost a great champion. Billie Bowles was, and is, emblematic of our great community. She was fiercely passionate, extremely loyal, and, I apologize to all of you, my favorite constituent. Billie had a talent for always identifying something that needed to be fixed or improved. I first met Billie while volunteering at the Meridian Food Bank long before I was elected. We bonded over Meridian and HP, but mostly we talked about our families and lives. Later, when the City launched a volunteer program, Billie was one of the first to sign up. She was a fixture at City Hall, and when I would visit, I'd plan for an extra 15 minutes to catch up on all things City Hall. Last spring, when she had an injury that prevented her from volunteering at City Hall, our conversations moved to her porch. Summer nights telling stories of our childhood will forever be a core memory. Candidly, I thought she'd outlive us all. It wasn't until I saw her obituary below that I realized she was 85! She will forever be a friend, but our community lost a bit of its luster with Billie's passing. If you were a friend of hers or of our community, I encourage you to attend her amazing celebration of life. https://www.cloverdalefuneralhome.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=47263989