Ann "Nancy" P. McGowan

Anne Patricia ("Nancy") McGowan, 53, of Red Chimney Drive in Warwick, died peacefully on Sunday, August 31st surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was the beloved daughter of Mary Louise McGowan and the late James R. McGowan. She was the youngest sister of Maura McQueeney, Judith Romano, Paul McGowan, Matthew McGowan, Jean Wolf and Ellen Slattery. She was a very special friend and life-long companion of her next door neighbor, Jackie Boyle and, until their passing, Jackie's parents, "Boyle" and Jack. The entire McGowan family is grateful for the joy and love extended by the Boyle family throughout Nancy's life. Nancy was loved and doted on by her parents, by her siblings and their spouses, who became like brothers and sisters to her, and by her 22 nieces and nephews. She had many friends at the Trudeau Center, in the SPREAD program at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick, and later among the staff and patients at Brentwood Nursing Home where she resided for the last several months of her life after having lived with her mother for more than 50 years. Nancy had a disarming and engaging honesty and, despite having Down Syndrome, a keen perception of people and a good memory for events of long ago. She was an occasional impish prankster with an assortment of one-liners always at the ready. Her presence delighted and enlightened many, and her enduring youthful spirit will be greatly missed. A visitation will be held Wednesday, Sept. 3rd from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 142 Centerville Road, Warwick, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday from St. Gregory the Great Church, 360 Cowesett Road in Warwick. Burial will be at St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Greenwich. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Nancy's name to St. Elizabeth Community, Charitable Gifts, One Saint Elizabeth Way, East Greenwich, RI 02818.