OBITUARY | Arden Fowler

Arden Stephanie Fowler, 85, of Bradenton and formerly of Longboat Key, died July 1.

Mrs. Fowler was born on May 24, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mrs. Fowler was a loving wife and mother; an artist, designer and mosaicist; an accomplished musician, voice teacher and music critic; a published author; and a fantastic cook and seamstress. She was also a cat lover and Italophile. She was a Democrat and attended the 1996 Democratic National Convention as a delegate.

Mrs. Fowler graduated from Midwood High School, in Brooklyn, and attended the Traphagen School from 1947 to 1949. She was a designer for Rubeson’s Sportswear from 1949 to 1951. On Aug. 6, 1951, she married the love of her life, Milton “Tony” Fowler, in Rome. She wrote and published “Italy, My Beautiful Obsession” in 2005, reflecting her love for Italy, where she and Tony returned as often as possible.

The Fowlers resided in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. from 1957 to 1975, where Mrs. Fowler pursued her art career, designing crafts for women’s magazines and creating peel-and-stick flowers, “Fantasticks,” in the 1960s. She sang at the Unitarian Church in Yonkers and was a member of the Westchester Baroque Chorus. She received a bachelor’s degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y. IN 1976.

In 1976, the Fowlers relocated to Longboat Key, and Mrs. Fowler earned a master's degree in music from the University of South Florida in 1978. Her greatest accomplishment was co-founding the “Gloria Musicae” choral ensemble in 1979 with Ann Moe and George Bledsoe. “Gloria Musicae” celebrated 35 years in 2014.

In recent years, Mrs. Fowler enjoyed participating in the Gulf Coast Italian Society, her many friends and the cultural life in the Sarasota area.

Mrs. Fowler was preceded in death by her husband, Milton Fowler, and son, Crispin Fowler. She is survived by her daughter, Stacey Breheny; two granddaughters; and sister, Joan Dorfman.

A combined service for Milton and Arden Fowler will be held Nov. 7, at All Angels by the Sea, Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road.