William M. Cowan Sr.

Bill was born on November 17, 1928 to Miller W. and Winifred Rush Cowan in St. Augustine, Fla. As an infant, Bill’s family moved to Connellsville, Pa., where he spent his childhood. He excelled in sports and especially loved playing baseball as second baseman.

The day after he graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1945, he joined the U.S. Army and proudly served in the occupation of Japan at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo. After WWII ended, he attended Tulane University in New Orleans, La.

Bill moved back to Connellsville where he met the love of his life, Mary Jo Sebold. They were married on September 12, 1953 and settled in Bucks County, Pa. Bill worked at the U.S. Steel Fairless Works plant before he began selling life insurance. He led a successful 50+ year career at MassMutual, and was a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table as well as MassMutual’s Leaders Club.

Bill was very active in the community and was president of several organizations, including the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rotary Club and the Queen of The Universe Men’s Club. Bill was also involved with the Middletown Little League and Bucks County Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and served on the Board of Directors for the Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce, the Bucks County Private Industry Council and the Bucks County Workforce Investment Board.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Bill never missed a Phillies or Eagles game. He also loved musicals and enjoyed seeing Broadway shows in New York City and at local community theaters. He was respected and admired by all who knew him and deeply loved by his family. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, kindness, and perseverance.

Bill was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Mary Jo, and his brother, John “Rusty” Cowan. He is survived by their four children and their spouses: William M. Cowan, Jr. (Barbara) of Newtown, Pa.; Linda Cowan Triplett (Gary) of Houston, Texas; Maureen Cowan Orth (Matthew) of Sugar Land, Texas; and Timothy P. Cowan (Anne-Marie) of Downingtown, Pa. He is also survived by ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, Caitrin Tarnovsky and her husband Eric, their son Evan and daughter Caralynn; William Orth and his wife Catie, their son Sawyer and daughter Emory; Lauren Estes and her husband Ryan; Blake Triplett; Tiana Bruner and her husband Travis; Nicole Boehm and her husband Matt, their daughters Clara and Lyla; Michael Cowan, Luke Orth, Nathaniel and Collin Cowan.

Family and friends will be received from 9:30am – 10:30am on March 31, 2023, at Queen of the Universe Church, 2443 Trenton Road, Levittown, followed by a funeral mass from 10:30am to 11:30am. The Rite of Committal will take place thereafter in Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to LNS at Orphan Disease Center, University of Pennsylvania, TRL Suite 1200, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104