Helen Stuart Irvin Dowling, 92, died April 26, 2013, at Winston-Salem, NC. Born March 2, 1921, in Augusta, GA, she was the daughter of the late Willis Irvin, noted Augusta Architect and Willye Augustus Stuart Irvin.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilson Thompson Dowling and her sister, Bette Irvin Bassett and her brother Rev. Dr. Willis Irvin, Jr. of Augusta, GA. She is survived by her brother Rev. Dr. H. Stuart Irvin of Mitchellville, MD; cousins, Dr. and Mrs. G. Stuart Scott of Savannah, GA; sons Wilson T. Dowling, Jr. of Suffolk, VA; Rev. Dr. Willis Irvin Dowling and his wife Heather of Chesapeake, VA; Rev. Benjamin Wyman Dowling III (ARP) and his wife Ethel of Lexington, VA; daughter Helen Stuart Dowling of Winston-Salem, NC; nephews Stuart Irvin, Jr. and his wife Carrie of Bethesda, MD; A. Bruce Bassett of South Burlington, VT; nieces Beverly Bassett Kimmel of Greenwich, CT; Kate Irvin of Bethesda, MD; Anita Irvin of Augusta, GA; grandsons Benjamin Willis Dowling and his wife Marcie of Asheville, NC; Peter Wilson Dowling of Lexington, VA; granddaughters Anna Grace Dowling of Chesapeake, VA; Bethany Meg Dowling Geffken and her husband Dan of Lynchburg, VA; Helen Elisabeth Dowling of Lexington, VA; great-granddaughter Grace Elizabeth Geffken and great-grandson Josiah Shepherd Geffken of Lynchburg, VA; great-nephews, Kevin Kimmel and his wife Blair and their son Maxwell Anderson of Hoboken, NJ; Bradley Kimmel and his wife Suzanne of Powder Springs, GA and Wesley Kimmel of New York, NY; great-nieces Molly Irvin and Elizabeth Irvin of Bethesda, MD; Isabelle Irvin of Bethesda, MD.

Educated at Tubman High School in Augusta, GA, she entered the University of Pennsylvania at age 16 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1942. She was the first female to be licensed in the state of Georgia; the second in South Carolina. She was a partner with her father in the architectural firm Willis Irvin & Associates in Augusta, GA. She and her mother founded Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Aiken, SC and hired Rev. Wilson T. Dowling as the interim pastor. In 1954 she married Rev. Dowling and they became missionaries to Brazil with the Presbyterian Church US from 1955-59, where three of their children were born. Upon return to the US, she was a homemaker and continued to practice architecture, being licensed in five states. She served alongside her husband in ministry in pastorates at the Hancock Presbyterian Church, Hancock, MD from 1961-1970; New Concord Presbyterian Church, Concord, VA and Rustburg Presbyterian Church, Rustburg, VA from 1970-1975 and Cramerton Presbyterian Church, Cramerton, NC from 1975-1986. Following her husband's death in 1986, she moved to Suffolk, VA, where she continued to maintain her own architectural practice. She loved her Lord Jesus Christ and was a woman of prayer, Bible study and church ministry. She will be greatly missed by her children and grandchildren as well as all of her family and friends.

A graveside service will be held on Sat. May 4 at 10:00 a.m. at Fairfax Cemetery, Fairfax, SC. A memorial service will follow the same day at 3:00 p.m. at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church at the chapel, 2261 Walton Way, Augusta, GA officiated by Rev. Dr. Willis Dowling and Rev. Benjamin Dowling III. A reception will follow the service at the home of Robert and Mary Gail Nesbit, 2235 Walton Way, Augusta, GA. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to: Child Evangelism Fellowship, P.O. Box 348, Warrenton, MO 63383. Donations may be made online to cefonline.com; select "Donate."