Edward J McGowan, Sr.

He was born and raised in West Brighton and settled in Great Kills 56 years ago.

Mr McGowan graduated from St. Peter's Boys High School and attended the College of Staten Island.

A member of Enterprise Association of Steamfitters Local 638, he worked as a steamfitter for more than 40 years and had worked in some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the World Trade Center. He retired in 1992.

An avid Yankees fan, he enjoyed taking his children to Yankee Stadium. He also enjoyed playing the horses, listening to Irish music, and spending time with his family.

A Korean War veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and attained the rank of petty officer 2nd class aboard the USS Harlan R. Dickson.

He was a parishioner of St. Clare's R.C. Church, Great Kills, where he belonged to the Nocturnal Adoration Society and the Parent's Guild.

Joan, his wife of 53 years, died in 2007.

He is survived by his sons, Edward J. Jr., James and Thomas; his daughters, Maryanne Watters and Elizabeth Rocco; his brother, Thomas, and 11 grandchildren.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey McCallum-Rice South Shore Funeral Home, Great Kills, with a Mass at 9:45 a.m. in St. Clare's Church. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains.