Fowler family, Manitoba curling community mourns former champ

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This article was published 29/09/2023 (1070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Former world senior women’s curling champion and four-time Manitoba women’s champion Lois Fowler died Thursday. She was 68.

The Brandon resident had battled ovarian cancer since 2017.

Fowler was a true pillar of her curling community as an athlete, mentor, builder and volunteer. Fowler was also a pillar in her family as a wife, mother and grandmother.

She was inducted into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame in 2003.

Her son, Rob, said her determination and spirit were evident on the ice, and really came through during her six-year health struggle.

“She proved that throughout this journey,” he said. “But also throughout her professional career as a real estate agent and, no doubt, she was often an underdog when she was curling. She proved that in all aspects of her life.

“She was really only given two or three years and was able to get six pretty darn good years. Up until the last couple of weeks, everything was pretty well normal for her.”

Rob added she was surrounded by immediate family at the end.

The lengthy list of on-ice achievements by Fowlers actually started with Lois’s husband, Brian, who won the 1987 provincial men’s championship and represented Manitoba at the Brier.

Rob’s older sister, Rhonda, not only followed in her mom’s footsteps but walked side by side on the Scott Tournament of Hearts ice at Brandon’s Keystone Centre as 1993 provincial champions. Lois played third for skip Maureen Bonar — with Allyson Bell at second and Rhonda at lead — on a run to the national final where Manitoba lost to late Saskatchewan icon Sandra Schmirler in an extra end.

Lois won three more provincial women’s titles and enjoyed an undefeated run through the 1998 provincial mixed championship as third for her son’s squad.

They went 6-5 at nationals but Rob loved every second of going into battle with mom on his side.

“A great teammate,” he said. “She always had that optimism and that optimism really rubbed off on her teammates. That helped not only her but her teammates to get the most out of their ability.

“She just has a positive impact on people, whether that be away from the rink or on the ice. Those qualities are there and she helped our team be better.”

Twenty-one years after her first provincial title, Fowler skipped her team of Bonar, Cathy Gauthier and Allyson Stewart to a gold medal at the 2014 national senior championship.

They were far from done there. Fowler’s squad travelled to Sochi, Russia the following spring and cruised to the playoffs. They trounced Sweden’s Gunilla Arfwidsson 11-2 in their semifinal and downed Italy’s Fiona Grace Simpson 6-2 for the world crown.

“You can get really close at the Canadian championship and that’s a wonderful achievement, but at the end of the Canadian championship you’re going to be playing one of the best teams in the world,” Rob said.

“To break through … and have the opportunity to represent the country is a difficult task in itself. To go on and win, couldn’t have been a better way for her to finish up her career.”

Lois had a ton of support throughout her battle, just as she supported her teammates through decades of competitive curling.

“We’re absolutely crushed by Lois’s passing. She was the heart and soul of our winning Manitoba championship teams in 1993 and 1996, and our 2015 world senior championship team. Lois was just a remarkable shooter and a fiery competitor who alway kept us focused and ready to play,” said former teammates Bonar, Bell, Gauthier and Stewart in a statement to the Brandon Sun.

“She will always be remembered as one of Manitoba’s finest players. But to us she was just our Lo, always loving, always supportive. So full of joy. So full of life. She remains a role model to us for the wonderful mother and grandmother she was, and the committed friend and teammate.

“Lois fought this horrible disease with determination and courage. And she was just so positive. She was the one battling and yet she was so concerned about how everyone else was handling things. She just cared so much about the people around her. Our thoughts are with Brian, Rob and Rhonda, and the entire Fowler family who meant everything to Lois.”

tfriesen@brandonsun.com

X: @thomasmfriesen