JOHN PATRICK ROWAN

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JOHN PATRICK ROWAN John Patrick Rowan, of Brandon, Florida, born in Winnipeg to parents, the late Gordon and Cornelia Rowan, on March 17, 1932, passed away peacefully, on December 23, 2006, following a courageous battle with cancer. At his side were his loving, loyal, friend, Bob, Bob's wife Christie and their two boys, Bobby and Tyler. Jack spent most of his boyhood years living on Whytewold Road in Sturgeon Creek with his parents and his older brother, Gordon (Sterling) and his younger sister, Joybelle (Joy). He often reminisced about those days and how lucky we were to have had empty fields next door on which to play ball, hide and seek, golf or exercise a horse for a neighbour. A special time was had each spring when the wooden sidewalks over the coulee a little south of our house would float when the water in the coulee would rise. All the neighbourhood boys had such fun paddling their rafts and becoming Tom Sawyers. He attended Laura Secord and Bannatyne Schools and St. James Collegiate. Jack joined the army and over the years took many excellent courses furthering his education in the field of missile maintenance, etc. Later he joined the Airforce and was stationed throughout Canada. He worked for Sylvania, General Telephone, Federal Electric and other companies. He was a veteran of the Korean War. Jack's work took him to many different locations. He spent time working on the Dew Line up north, Boston, Germany, The Pentagon and several years in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific. He took an early retirement so that he could enjoy his home in Brandon, Florida, where he was close to his dear friends, Bob and Christie and to take part in the activities of his precious Bobby and Tyler to whom he was Poppa. Jack was predeceased by his parents, all his aunts and uncles and by several cousins. He leaves to celebrate his life, his brother Gordon (Margaret} of Langley, BC; sister Joy Snarr of Morris; three nieces, Susan (Doug) Werboweski, of Winnipeg, Andrea (Remi) Dube, of Surrey, BC and Kimberley Carlstrom (Cary) of New York Mills, Minnesota; two nephews, David Rowan of Vancouver, BC and Gordon Snarr (friend Paula) of Morris, MB; also surviving are four great-nieces, two great-nephews and one great-great-nephew and one great-great-niece, several cousins throughout Canada and the States, and his friends. The family would like to express their gratitude to Bob, Christie and boys for their devotion to Jack and for letting his wish to pass away at home be granted. They gave him such excellent care and love. We would also like to thank Christie's mom, Jane, who was there for Jack, and the hospice workers for their tender care during his final weeks on earth. Jack was a kind and generous person. His journey on earth is over but we will meet again when he will greet his family and friends in Paradise. Proverbs...18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 30, 2006