Constance “Connie” Davis Rowe, of Micanopy, died suddenly Monday October 14, 2019. She was 78. Born in Huntington, W. Virginia, Connie lived almost all of her adult life in Gainesville and Micanopy. She was a registered nurse, having attained a nursing degree from Marshall University in Lexington, KY. This is where she met her husband of 43 years, Ben Rowe. Together they had three boys, James, Michael, and Matthew. Ben and Connie moved their family down to Florida in the early 1970’s, and together they owned, operated, and published the The Record, a know-what’s-happening in Gainesville newspaper, for many years. She has carried on the newspaper with her son, Jim.
Connie, along with Ben, helped found the Rotary Club of Downtown Gainesville in 1990. She was also a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary District 6970. She is preceded in death by her loving husband J. Ben Rowe, son Matthew Rowe, sister Tudell D. Young, and brothers Hugh M. Davis and Jefferson Davis.
Connie is survived by two sons, Michael “Mike” Rowe (Caron) and James “Jim” Rowe; brothers Dr. Robert M. Davis, Jack Davis, and David Young; and four grandchildren, Kaycee Rowe, Brittany Rowe, Clayton Rowe, and Chase Rowe. Funeral services will be held Saturday October 19, 2019 at the Milam Chapel downtown at 11:00am. The family will receive friends one-hour prior, from 10:00-11:00am. The family requests that donations be made to the Rotary Foundation in Connie’s memory, c/o Rotary of Downtown Gainesville P.O. Box 358387 Gainesville, FL 32635.
DEDICATION FOR A TROOPER, BY: Son & Co-Publisher James Rowe III
On Monday, October 14, 2019,
the world, my family and our
newspaper lost an amazing
mother, grandmother, wife of
43 years, and kind-but-tough
businesswoman.
Our Publisher Constance
Davis Rowe passed quietly into
the arms of our heavenly father
surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Rowe, or Connie as she was
known to her friends, fought like
the true trooper she was for the
last days of her life, leaving behind
her two loving sons, James Ben
and Michael Andrew, daughterin-law Caron Rowe, grandsons
Clayton and Chase, and
granddaughters Brittany and
Kaycee Rowe. (Plus many
brothers, sisters, nieces &
nephews who loved her deeply
as well). The details surrounding
her passing will be kept private
as she would have wished,
but it was entirely natural.
Constance started out her adult
life as a Registered Nurse, hailing
from my hometown of Huntington,
W.Va. From there, she met Benny
Rowe of Lexington KY at Marshall
University when Benny saved a
woman from burning to death
when he was a paperboy. J.
Ben was the love of her life and
they were married for 43 years
having three rowdy boys together,
James, Michael and Matthew,
who passed tragically in 2003.
Mrs. Rowe was very kind
and sweet, but a hard-nosed
businesswoman who no one
dared tread on. Together with two
other employees, she and I ran
The Record for many years after J.
Ben’s passing in 2005. She kept
daddy’s dream alive all these years,
working tirelessly at the business
until about one month ago. (I
never had any idea just how much
momma actually handled until
now.) Sorting through the finances
and records of transactions, I am
just a little overwhelmed at how
much she actually did to keep
The Record’s lifeblood pumping.
As of presstime, we do not
have the final details of when the
service will be, but tentatively
Friday October 18th or Saturday
the 19th at Milam Funeral Home
at 311 South Main Street in
Gainesville FL. Friends may
call the office later in week or
check obits in the daily paper for
more accurate times and dates.
I’m sure mom is watching over
us, I don’t know exactly how I
know, but have a feeling at times
when certain things happen she
is reaching down to guide me.
In the words of a great song,
“You can tear a building down, but
you can’t erase the memories.”
Goodbye momma, you will never
know how much you meant to
us nor how much we Love and
miss you.
