J. Austin Sowles ’48 died on April 6, 2018, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

(The following was published in The Boston Globe on April 15, 2018):

Dr. Austin Sowles, age 91, passed away April 6, 2018, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Sowles was the son of Mark Dodge Sowles and Ethel Marsh Sowles. Until recently Austin and his wife of sixty-six years, Mary Keyworth Sowles, lived in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Austin graduated from Bowdoin College. He then followed a family tradition and went to receive his DMD degree from Harvard. He had a dental practice in Boston. Austin had exceptional artistic abilities. His artistry was exemplified in his dentistry, woodworking, and whatever handiwork he endeavored. He was an avid hunter and passionate about duck hunting. Austin was an excellent shot. He was a life-long learner. His retirement years were spent delving into everything from chaos theory to cultivating a moss garden. Austin had a strong Vermont connection and spent as much time as possible at their summer home on Lake Champlain. He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Sowles; parents; sisters, Frances Butler and Ellen Cron. Dr. Sowles is survived by his two daughters and sons-in-law, Debby and Wayne Pavinich, and Erica and Tom Mumley; grandchildren, Alaina Wingo, Greg Pavinich, Saranne Riccio, and Laura Mumley; great grandchildren, Austin and Olivia Davis, Ella Grace and Luke Pavinich all of Knoxville, Tennessee.