International Art Dealer, Real Estate Investor, Master Fisherman Frank Fowler Dies At 78

Frank Fowler

International art dealer Frank Eison Fowler, of Lookout Mountain, Tn., has died at 78.

Mr. Fowler was art dealer to the Wyeth family for over 54 years.

He was an investor and developer who helped save the Chattanooga Choo Choo after it went into bankruptcy.

Mr. Fowler was also a renowned fisherman, catching record numbers of tarpon. 

Born on June 2, 1946, to Richard Calvin Fowler and Mamie Craig Howell in Chattanooga, he was a lifelong resident of Lookout Mountain.

Mr.

Fowler is survived by two sons and six grandchildren, Andy (Hope and Sarah) and Weston (Lakelyn, Hayes, Hattie and Davis) and two sisters, Margaret Knowlton and Mamie Dye.|He was preceded in death by his wife of more than 50 years, Gay Zimmerman Fowler as well as his brother Richard Calvin “Dick” Fowler Jr.

After attending the Bright School and graduating from Baylor School in 1964, Mr. Fowler headed to Athens, Ga., to study in the Business School at The University of Georgia.

Shortly after arriving on campus, he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and began immersing himself in the rigorous academic and social life of a freshman at a large school with a decent SEC football program.

Mr. Fowler quickly became an ardent Georgia Bulldog fan and serious student of the game of football.

Throughout his life, he studied the art of recruiting and was always a great source of little-known recruits – Mr. Fowler was greatly appreciated by sports writers, fans, and coaches throughout the region according to fraternity brother and long-time friend, Tom Beard of Atlanta.

As an art dealer, Mr. Fowler long specialized in the works of the  Brandywine School of Painting. He was involved in every facet of the work of the Wyeth family, including but not limited to arranging international exhibitions, preparation of forewords, catalogs, catalogs raisonné, and the appraisals of works around the globe.

He sold and negotiated more works by Andrew Wyeth than anyone else in the world, and was considered the leading authority on Mr. Wyeth and his family.

Additionally, Mr. Fowler specialized in the work of Mr. Wyeth’s father N.C., and Andrew’s son, Jamie.

Mr. Fowler had close friends throughout the international fine- and pop-art communities, including the legendary Andy Warhol.

He was an active real estate investor and developer. He put together the necessary equity partnership to purchase the iconic Choo Choo out of bankruptcy in 1989, saving the landmark hotel from closing its doors.

He remained active in the redevelopment of the Choo Choo into a mixed-use entertainment district. 

Mr. Fowler remained a principal owner of the Hotel Chalet at the Choo Choo at the time of his passing. He was also an owner of the property that is now Council Fire at the time of its development. Along with Jack Lupton, he arranged the necessary funding to jumpstart Council Fire’s development.

He was a key partner in many other iconic Chattanooga buildings including the Chattanooga Times and River Place on the waterfront. Mr. Fowler was also a key participant in the development of River Pier Landing, Chattanooga’s first upscale condominium residences.

Mr. Fowler loved moving Chattanooga forward – willing to develop projects that had never been attempted previously, it was stated.

Long-time friend and business partner Ben Probasco said Mr. Fowler was unequaled in his loyalty and forthrightness. “There are few people that I would prefer to have at my side in a foxhole when the incoming fire started,” he said. “Frank always had the back of those near and dear to him – unequivically.”

Mr. Fowler was also known as a world-renowned angler who helped develop a fledging tarpon fishery in the South Carolina Low Country. He helped pioneer that fishery with long-time friend and fishing guide, Capt. Fuzzy Davis.

He was “a complicated individual – equally at home with shrimp boat captains after a long day on the water at the local watering hole, or curating fine art exhibitions in some of the world’s most exclusive museums and galleries several time zones away.”

Tarpon – also known as “The Silver King,” first caught Mr. Fowler’s attention thanks to a dog-eared first edition of The Book of Tarpon. 

Author A. Dimmock described catching the prehistoric species in the early 20th Century around a pristine and yet-undiscovered Southwest Florida coastline.

He took a quote from The Old Man and the Sea author Ernest Hemingway to heart: “To write about life, you first have to live it.”

Mr. Fowler became the first and only angler to release more than 1,000 tarpon in South Carolina – including a potential state record, estimated to weigh 235 pounds based on its length and girth.

Despite chasing that record for several decades, Mr. Fowler chose to release the fish.

He then expanded his horizons to the Florida Keys and Key West, honing his skills with legendary tarpon guides like Islamorada’s Capt. Hal Chittum and Capt. RT Trosset in Key West.

His lifetime total of tarpon will likely never be eclipsed. At last count, his tally was pushing north of a remarkable 5,000 fish caught and released over five decades.

While most anglers prefer targeting tarpon with a fly rod and chicken feathers, Mr. Fowler preferred heavier tackle, which allowed the fish to be subdued and released to fight another day.

He was a fan of “down-and-dirty” fishing, leveraging his body mechanics to catch the fish as quickly as possible on heavier tackle to reduce mortality.

Mr. Fowler was an avid conservationist, helping pioneer a ground-breaking satellite tagging telemetry and a DNA collection program that continues to help fishery scientists better understand the ethereal species – revealing their movement and habits from their northern range in the Chesapeake Bay, throughout their southern range in Central and South America.

Services honoring Mr. Fowler are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m. at Forest Hill Cemetery.

A reception and light repast will follow the ceremony at Lookout Mountain’s Fairyland Club.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked consideration of a charitable donation to an organization of the donor’s choice or to:

Chattanooga’s Chambliss Children’s Center (315 Gillespie Road, Chattanooga, Tenn. 37411; www.chamblisscenter.org.or ) and/or the Greenville County Museum of Art (802 South Evans Street, Greenville, NC 27834; www.gcma.org.)