|
a.
|
Note: e U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, died suddenly at age 84 at a local hospital January 11, 2007.
Mr. Rowan, son of the late Wilford Hall Rowan and the late Mary Virginia Strahan, was born May 28, 1922 in Kiln, MS. As a child in the 1930's, he traveled throughout the southern states with his family of vaudeville actors and musicians. He participated extensively in sports during high school and college, including football, tennis and track while also enjoying snooker pool, checker and organized dances.
His college years were interrupted by World War II, when in 1943 he came to serve as a U.S. naval hospital corpsman attached to the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater and, memorably, in the Battle for Iwo Jima.
After the war, he returned to Mississippi State University, transferred to Mississippi Southern University, and graduated in 1950, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry.
He then settled in Miami, FL with several family members. While working as a lab technician at Jackson Memorial Hospital, he met Nancy Orleman, originally of Atlantic City, NJ. They married on December 2, 1950 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Miami Shores, FL. With their four daughters, they moved to Lake Park, FL in 1969.
He spent his career as a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture entomologist and was an active member of the Florida Entomological Society. He served as a federal employee for over thirty years.
In his retirement, he volunteered extensively throughout the late 1980's and 1990's as either member or chairman of Lake Park committees and boards including: the Beautification Committee, Board of Adjustment, Tree Board and Planning and Zoning Board. He was instrumental in getting Lake Park accepted by 1991 on the registry of Tree City USA, a program of the National Arbor Day Foundation, and continued to volunteer with the town's Arbor Day activities until his retirement from community service in 1999. He received many military and federal employee commendations and community volunteer certificates of merit, not to mention his Big Band Expert of the Year plaque awarded him in 1981 by a local radio station, WSBR. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Nancy, who died May 11, 2005. He is survived by...
A funeral service will be held at Howard-Price Funeral Home, 754 U.S. Hwy. One, North Palm Beach on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 1 P.M. Interment with military honors at the family plot will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park, West Palm Beach.
Published in The Palm Beach Post on January 14, 2007
-------------
World War II Decorations:
--American Area Camp Medal
--Asiatic-Pacific Camp Medal
--Good Conduct Medal
--WWII Victory Medal
--Presidential Unit Citation to Assault Troops of the Fifth Amphibious Corps, Reinforced, U.S. Fleet Marine Force: "For extraordinary heroism in action during the seizure of enemy Japanese-held Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, February 19 to 28, 1945. Landing against resistance which rapidly increased in fury as the Japanese pounded the beaches with artillery, rocket and mortar fire, the Assault Troops of the Fifth Amphibious Corps inched ahead through shifting black volcanic sands, over heavily mined terrain, toward a garrison of jagged cliffs barricaded by an interlocking system of caves, pillboxes and blockhouses commanding all approaches. Often driven back with terrific losses in fierce hand-to-hand combat, the Assault Troops repeatedly hurled back the enemy's counterattacks to regain and hold lost positions, and continued the unrelenting drive to high ground and Motoyama Airfield No. 1, captured by the end of the second day. By their individual acts of heroism and their unfailing teamwork, these gallant officers and men fought against their own battle-fatigue and shock to advance in the face of the enemy's fanatical resistance; they charged each strongpoint, one by one, blasting out the hidden Japanese troops or sealing them in; within four days they had occupied the southern part of Motoyama Airfield No. 2; simultaneously they stormed the steep slopes of Mount Suribachi to raise the United States Flag; and they seized the strongly defended hills to silence guns commanding the beaches and insure the conquest of Iwo Jima, a vital inner defense of the Japanese Empire."
Note: WILFORD THOMAS ROWAN ("Bill") Rowan, a devoted family man, active community volunteer, hard-working and cited entomologist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and proud naval hospital corpsman with th
|
