Obituary: Joseph Robert McGowan

Joseph Robert McGowan, known his entire life as “Bob.” passed away of natural causes at the age of 93. Dad was born in Des Moines, Iowa to Patrick McGowan and Elizabeth (nee) Murray McGowan on Feb. 3, 1931 and passed peacefully in the home he had built in Prescott Valley, Arizona on March 20, 2024 with his wife, Shirley (nee) Griffith McGowan, and sons Michael and Craig at his bedside.

Dad is predeceased by his youngest son, David. He is survived by his wife of nearly 72 years, Shirley, his sons, Michael and Craig (Lorraine), granddaughters, Alissa, Brittany, Megan and Shane, and grandson, Bryce, as well as five nieces and a nephew.

Dad lived a full life, meeting the love of his life and life partner, Shirley Griffith at an A&W stand in Des Moines where Mom was a rollerskate server sometime in 1949, married Mom on March 29, 1952 and kept it secret living apart for several months until Mom put her foot down.

In the Army, Dad left for a tour in the Korean War serving as an engineer soon after marriage and it was the last time Mom and Dad were separated and unable to see each other over the next 72 years. Mom received a telegram from the Army while Dad was still in boot camp that he was in critical condition with heat stroke and not expected to survive. However, survive Dad did, becoming the first in the Army to do so with newly devised and improvised cooling techniques. It became a blessing in disguise as Dad had been destined for infantry but in testing for any brain impairment afterwards, it was discovered he was intelligent enough for engineer training and Dad never saw the front lines. A friend of mine as a child even coined the name “Gravy” for Dad because his tour was not fraught with much danger.

From that tour, Dad would tell a story hundreds of times to anyone who came to his home until dementia took that last long-term memory from him about a year ago. Dad was never supposed to be stationed in the heat of Korea after his stroke, but the Army sent him there anyway.

As the story goes, Dad took off his uniform shirt on a detail one day in the heat so that he was bare skinned. A General happened by and noticed him and approached. According to Dad’s story, the General said to Dad, “McGowan, you are out of uniform, are you supposed to be out of uniform?” To which Dad says he replied, “Yes sir, the Army tried to kill me once and I am not letting them kill me again, sir.” Dad says the General replied, “Well, McGowan, I guess you know best then,” and Dad never heard about it again. Dad would later become that same General’s driver. I’d heard that same exact verbatim story so many times I was a bit sick of it. I dearly miss it now.

Dad went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree at Iowa State University, where attending, as I just now discovered, because he never mentioned it his entire life, a member of Epsilon Pi Tau International Honor Society, and a Master’s of Arts from Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences, and finally, a Life diploma from the California State Board of Education to teach Industrial Arts in public elementary school.

Dad moved the family from Climbing Hill, Iowa to Torrance, California in the summer of 1959 and began his teaching career in Woodshop at Flavian Elementary, which changed years later to Bert Lynn Middle School. Over the years he took on side jobs to supplement an underpaid teacher’s salary and worked for, among others part time, The City of Torrance making such things as “The Happy Wanderer” trailer which gave free puppet shows around the city at events and parks and “The Nature Museum” which exhibited various insects and fauna.

In the first Torrance home we owned in 1963, Dad continued to remodel and add on over the years doubling its original square footage as well as a spacious enclosed patio addition, a massive garage in the backyard and a half-court basketball court. He loved to fish, both ocean and lake, and made several lures. When I was a child, Dad made the most of my Christmas and birthday presents from wood, metal and plastics.

Dad retired from teaching in the 1980s and opened a cabinet shop in his Torrance home backyard garage and added on square footage to the rear as property limits would allow. In addition to his business projects, he made oak and walnut desks, tables, chairs, end tables, TV stands, cabinets and vanities for friends and family, many of which are in his home in Prescott Valley, Arizona, where he and Mom moved after retiring for good in 1997. In every room of their Prescott Valley home that his son Craig designed and Bob helped to build, as it was before in Torrance, everywhere you turn, there he is. Rest in Peace, Dad, you are greatly loved and sorely missed, but a Life well lived and treasured by many. I Love You, Dad.

Information provided by the family