5th year anniversary of your passing today. Always in my thoughts. Your grandkids are doing great and you would be so proud of them. Keefer just received his PhD in mathematics and is off to Switzerland for a 3 year post-doc starting in September. Conor is in his 3rd year of an aerospace engineering PhD program at University of CO. He is an avid rock climber and musician too. We are truly fortunate to have such fine kids. Thanks for instilling the importance of fatherhood in me- I know me being there for them, like you were for me, is at least a small part of their success.  
 
Taking care of your sister Sheila now. She is having memory issues and living at Daylesford Crossing just as you did. Staff there still remember you, which I find comforting somehow. Thank you for being such a good dad to us.

Hi dad on the 2nd  anniversary of your passing. We miss you. We are all doing OK , the boys especially. You are part of that. You instilled in me how important being present is. I have always been there for my sons. Maybe not always making the best decisions, but there nonetheless and doing the best I know how. Many sons don't have that. Thank you for teaching me this invaluable lesson. 

Thanks for all the nice cards expressing condolences. It is comforting to me to know that my dad had such nice friends and shared great experiences with them. We plan a zoom memorial for 8-30-20 at 3 PM. We will send out email invitations in the near future. Join us if you can 

Dad had a brother Jack, who passed away in 2010, and is survived by his sister Sheila, who lives in NJ. Dad is also survived by all of his children- Eileen, Rose, Jay and John and by his ex-wife and mother of his children, Bonnie. Jim and Bonnie remained close through the years. Jim leaves behind 6  grandchildren  and 3 great grandchildren.

My dad passed away peacefully on July 10, 2020 after a long decline dealing with Alzheimer's disease. I was fortunate enough to be with him when he passed. He was a good man and great father and he is missed.
 A little about my dad. He grew up in Bellrose NY as a child. He joined the navy in the early 50s and was a flight engineer on a P-2 Neptune flying maritime patrol missions  over the Atlantic Ocean.  He later attended college at Tri-State in Indiana and became employed with Pan Am airlines. He married my mom around this time and quickly started a family: my sister Eileen, then me, then my brother John.  Dad got a job with NCR  selling computer systems and we moved to Dayton OH, then shortly after that to Houston TX and lived there from 1966-1975. During our time there we added a new family member to our household: Rose. She fostered with us and ended up staying on for the ride. Job opportunities within NCR  found our family moving to PA in 1975.  My parents divorced in 1977 and my dad found himself responsible for raising 4 kids by himself- pretty much unheard of then, or even now. Nice job dad! The years passed by and his kids grew up, 2 more marriages came and went( Yikes!), dad retired from work and built his house at Eagle Rock in Hazleton PA  where he enjoyed hosting friends and family. The Philadelphia Sailing Club was important to him for much of this time. He would go on sailing trips with a solid group of friends and also entertain  them at his home. In 2014 it became evident that my dad was having memory issues and we had to unfortunately have him move away from his beloved home. 
  Dad was a kind man and lived a good life. He left no harm in his wake. He provided a loving, stable home for his children. He showed up for his kids. You could depend on a warm plate in the oven waiting for you if you couldn't make it home in time for supper- bank on it. Thank you dad.

Jim is survived by his sister, Sheila and cousin (from Ireland) Margaret. Sheila is in the center. From left to right—son Jay's kids—Keefer and Conor. Jay is in the back and Margaret is on the right.

Jim with wife, Bonnie, and their three kids: Eileen, John, and Jay.

Jim with daughter, Rose, her son, Gordon, Gordon's wife, Nikki, and their daughter, Adi. circa 1995

OBITUARY

James Patrick Rowan II

16 March, 1935 – 10 July, 2020

Alleva Funeral Home, Inc.

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