William H. Rowan Jr.

William Hamilton (Bill) Rowan, Jr., age 81, native of Nashville, TN, passed away peacefully on January 6, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Sarah Rowan; daughter, Beth (Jerry) Taylor; son, Bill (Julianne) Rowan; 5 grandchildren: Meghan (Chris) McGuire; Cody Taylor; Blake Taylor; Joshua Rowan; Bonnie Rowan; and1 great-grandchild, Lyla Grace McGuire; brother, Ben H. (Jenny) Rowan, and many beloved nieces, nephews and dear friends. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, William and Elizabeth Rowan. Dr. Rowan was blessed with a brilliant mind. He earned a B.E. from Vanderbilt in 1955 graduating magna cum laude. While attending VU, he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, an officer of Tau Beta Pi, and a member of the varsity track team. While earning his PhD from North Carolina State University he was a Ford Foundation Fellow and member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. He worked for Boeing in Seattle, WA from 1955-57 and earned his pilot’s license during this time. He served in the United States Army with the 4th Armor Division stationed in Ulm, Germany from 1957-59. He worked for the TN State Highway Dept. from 1959-60 before joining Vanderbilt University as a tenured track faculty member in 1964 following completion of his doctorate in Civil Engineering. In 1977, he initiated the formation of the Computer Science Department and became the first chair of the department. He remained a full professor in the Computer Science Department until he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1996. During this time, Dr. Rowan was also founder and CEO of On-Line Computing: a pioneering time-share business. He co-authored and co-edited two books and was honored by the Vanderbilt School of Engineering as a member of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. He supported the Rowan Scholarship fund. Bill was also a 32nd decree Scottish Rite Mason. During his retirement, Bill loved to spend time with Sarah at his Florida home. He loved to play golf both at Hillwood Country Club and Fiddlesticks Country Club in Ft. Myers, Fl. He enjoyed being a member of the Green Hills Rotary Club, playing bridge and traveling. He was a kind and gentle spirit who loved his wife, Sarah, his children and his extended family. He was a man whose great intellect was exceeded only by his compassion, kindness and generosity. He will be missed by all of us. A Gathering of Family and Friends for visitation will take place Thursday January 8, from 5 o’clock until 8 o’clock in the evening at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life Service will take place at St. Henry Catholic Church on Harding Pike at 11 o’clock in the morning on Friday January 9th, with two hours of visitation with the family prior to the service. A private interment with family and friends will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park on Thompson Lane.