Jerry Fowler, innovative broker, dies

He utilized radio to teach Columbia listeners about real estate issues

By BILL ROBINSON - brobinson@thestate.com

Jerry Fowler, a self-employed real estate broker who pioneered the use of radio in Columbia to educate listeners about buying and selling property, died Thursday.

Fowler, 61, succumbed to cancer and kept a diary of the ups and downs of his treatment for more than a year. Weekly installments were published in a suburban weekly newspaper and posted on the Web site of his Chapin-based company.

Fowler’s death creates a vacancy on the Lexington-Richland 5 school board, the second time in less than a decade the panel has lost an incumbent to cancer. Former board chairman David Eckstrom died from complications of brain cancer in 2000.

“I knew it was coming, but you always hope for that miracle,” said Carol Sloop, a friend, colleague in the real estate industry and fellow school board member.

Sloop’s husband, Steve, was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Fowler. When her husband was in the hospital, Sloop said Fowler called several times a day to see if he could help with her real estate clients. His upbeat attitude gave her hope for his and her husband’s recovery.

“He was just there anytime he was needed,” Sloop said.

State Rep. Chip Huggins, another real estate agent and longtime friend, summed up Fowler in one word: “terrific.”

It was a word Fowler himself used right up to the end in describing how he was doing, said Huggins, R-Lexington.

THE CIVIC SERVANT

Four years ago, Fowler entered politics and enlisted Rod Shealy’s help to wage a winning campaign for a seat representing Lexington County on the District 5 board.

“His passing leaves a huge void in the community and the state,” said Shealy, who publishes the New Irmo News. “Knowing Jerry’s amazing optimism, he would want us to be celebrating his life’s achievement rather than mourning his passing.”

Of Fowler’s column, Shealy said, “You could always read his positive attitude into it. The readership on that was just amazing.”

Seven months after getting elected to office, he cast a key vote in a decision to oust superintendent Dennis McMahon.

Fowler said he voted to fire McMahon because a majority of trustees lost confidence in his ability to lead a district where skepticism about education spending lingers. His term on the District 5 board was set to expire this November.

“In the face of a very serious illness he continued to participate and be at every meeting until recently,” District 5 board chair Paula Hite said. “He was a very dedicated board member and we will miss him very much. He was a wonderful man.”

In early 2007, Fowler was diagnosed with lung cancer and won the admiration of many for persevering with a busy schedule of 14-hour work days in spite of debilitating treatments. Fowler even posted a set of “before and after” photographs of himself with and without hair.

Sloop recalled Fowler sitting through three high school graduations in one day in the middle of a chemotherapy treatment.

Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Richland, said, “Not once during this journey did I ever hear him complain or ask ‘why me?’ He stayed positive and lived every moment to the fullest. His presence ... will be greatly missed.”

Sloop said her husband summed it up Thursday after hearing of Fowler’s death: “He’s already sitting on a new board up there and has formed some new committees.”

GETTING RESULTS

Fowler sold real estate in the Columbia area for nearly two decades and in 1998 coined the slogan “the Results Team” to describe his newly formed company and its employees.

For the past 17 years, he was a regular on WVOC radio, offering real estate and related advice weekdays. He also was host of a talk show on Saturday mornings that focused on the subject.

“He’s been so much more than a radio host,” said L.J. Smith, programming and operations director for Clear Channel radio in Columbia. “He’s been mentor, adviser, friend, advocate and leader — not only his radio audience, but to those who’ve worked in this building with him.”

“His optimism was unrivaled,” Smith said. “While battling through his sickness, he was continually planning and looking toward the future of his life, both personally and professionally. He had plans for another radio show in the works, laying plans right up to just a week or two ago.”

Real estate colleagues described him as an “innovative, forward-thinking and honest” professional.

His team concept of selling real estate is more common now, but was a “fresh way of thinking” when Fowler started his business, according to Whit Suber, a Columbia real estate agent.

“He was always thinking about a new way to do something,” Suber said.

Devon Copeland and Kristy Eppley Rupon contributed. Reach Robinson at (803) 771-8482.