Tom Fowler Biopic

The stories of Tom Fowler, a United States Navy Commander, SMU professor, HR leader, President of United Way in Tyler, TX, mentor, husband, father and grandfather.

My grandfather, whom all of the grandchildren referred to as "Papa Tom," was a humorous and well-respected man. At his heart, he was a storyteller. For around a decade he battled cancer, which had its ups and downs, sometimes looking better than others. Early in 2018 as he sat with me sharing stories from his younger years, I had the idea to produce a documentary about his life of adventure. From July 16 to July 18, 2018, I recorded video where he told stories from different parts of his life. I then collected and organized various objects and photos from around his house to include alongside his storytelling. After spending a little over a week editing, we watched the finished movie with Papa Tom.

Though it could never tell his full story, the film below captures the essence of his charm and wisdom.