Obituary for BJ Towe

BJ Towe, 66, passed away on August 11, 2023. BJ is survived by her husband of 43 years, Lee Towe; her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, Ryan, Liz, and Lincoln Towe; and her daughter, Adrianne Towe. BJ is also survived by her mother, Joan Green, and brother, Robert C. Green II. Plus, countless family members and friends she treasured and her beloved dogs, Jett & Skye.

BJ was a writer. So, with that, we’ll let BJ tell you her story.

“You know me as BJ Towe, formerly Barbara J. Green. I was born October 6, 1956, in Quincy, Illinois, to Richard C. and Joan F. Green, joining my brother, Robert C. Green II. Everyone said I looked like the Gerber baby. That didn't last long.

“When it comes time to summarize my life for others, I hope the focus is on who I was, not what I did. I'm a Christian, a wife, a mother, a grandmother. I'm a daughter, a sister, a relative, a friend. I'm passionate about things you can't see, such as relationships and learning new things. I appreciate things you can see, hear, or touch - things like art, music, and many skills I do not possess but admire.

“I hope you don't focus much on what I accomplished professionally. Most of those things don't really matter. But for my family, I'll share a bit of my life's "resume".

“After graduating from Quincy Senior High School (Illinois) in 1974, I earned my B.A. in advertising/journalism from Drake University in 1977. But before college graduation, I was already working full-time as a copywriter, which had been my dream since I was old enough to put words to paper.

“In 1980, I married my best friend and chief encourager, Lee A. Towe, and God blessed us with two remarkable children. I've always claimed you, Ryan and Adrianne, as our life's greatest achievements, and rightly so. Ryan and our daughter-in-law, Liz Towe, made me a grandmother in 2017. Lincoln Towe, you are so loved.”

[A long, incredible, others-centered list of BJ's accomplishments have been removed because that is not how she wants to leave you. She wants to leave you with gratitude.]

“Mostly, I'm grateful. My life has been rich, filled with ups and downs, joys and tears, successes and failures, all of which contribute to who I am. I'm far from perfect, but with each passing year, I think I got a tiny bit wiser and better. I'm grateful for having lived a truly blessed, truly wonderful life.”

BJ was preceded in death by her dear father, Richard C. Green, and her beloved in-laws, Severn & Margie Towe.

A celebration of life for BJ will take place on Sunday, August 20 at The Bridge church in Johnston, Iowa. Visitation begins at 2:00pm and the service begins at 4:00pm. While we would love to see everyone there, a livestream link is available for those who cannot make it in person: https://vimeo.com/event/3633706

In lieu of flowers, BJ would welcome any donations to Furever Friends of Appanoose, Inc., the animal rescue shelter BJ co-founded, or The Bridge Church in Johnston, Iowa, in support of causes in which BJ was deeply engaged.

As BJ’s family members, we would like to add that just as she loved us deeply, we couldn’t have loved her more if we tried. We loved her that much.