Richard Bowling

Richard A. Bowling, former mayor of Bluff City, died only five months after resigning his office for health reasons. Bowling died Dec. 9, 2022 at the age of 79 after years of complications from COPD caused by exposure to asbestos. Bowling had served on the Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen since 2012 and had been appointed mayor in January 2022 after the death of longtime mayor Irene Wells. He served as the town’s mayor until the end of July, when his health forced him to resign from the board. A lifetime member of the Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department, Bowling also served in the U.S. Army and worked at the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Raytheon Technologies, Sperry Univac, and the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center.