LIFE, DEATH, AND GENEALOGY of DAVID JAY STOWELL

 

My dad -- 1930's

Questions I ask people are, "Where did you come from and why are you here?" In other words does your life count for something? I believe it does.  Lately I've simplified my life.  I intend to do the good works that God has planned for me, and to point others to Jesus.  Today I think a good work would be to re-write my dad's obit.   So the following should be much more complete.  I  added my dad's military service and schooling.  I noticed he had his civilian service overlapping with his military service.  The following is what I could discern from his notes.  

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David Jay Stowell, born June 22, 1914, in Spokane, Washington, passed away on March 11, 2003, in Lacey, Washington. He was the son of Claude and Isabel Stowell.

David graduated from North Central High School in Spokane in 1932 and went on to attend Whitworth College, where he played football for two years while pursuing his studies. He later transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, where he earned a B.S. in Physics in 1936.

In 1939, David married Grace Edson at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Spokane. Together they had five children: Jay Leroy (born November 29, 1940), Roberta Joy (born July 29, 1943), Evelyn Isabelle (born October 17, 1947), David Henry Edson (born April 12, 1952), and Wayne Daniel Claude (born June 11, 1956).

David had a distinguished military career, beginning in the Citizens Military Training Camp with the 4th Infantry in Spokane, where he served from 1932 to 1935. He was a Sergeant in the Army Reserve before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1932. During World War II, he served in a number of key positions, including 1st Lieutenant in General Patton’s Armored Tank Battalion, and later, 1st Lieutenant in UCLA’s Meteorology Training. He went on to serve as Captain, coordinating weather briefings for the Air Corps, and eventually achieved the rank of Major, overseeing weather operations in the Aleutian Islands following VJ Day.

David continued to serve in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1974 after a distinguished 30-year career. In addition to his military service, David worked for many years in meteorology, studying at UCLA and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He held various positions, including as the Weather Bureau Chief in Arctic Village, Alaska, and later in Washington, D.C., Suitland, Maryland, and Redwood City, California, before his retirement.

David’s volunteer work was extensive and included involvement with the PTA, Boy Scouts, 4-H, the Salvation Army, church boards, and as a trustee and treasurer in several churches. He was deeply committed to his faith and spiritual journey, which began in early childhood when he accepted Christ as his Savior in 1931. Throughout his life, he was active in several Presbyterian and Evangelical Covenant churches, teaching Sunday School and serving as an elder.

David was known for his sense of humor and resilience in the face of health challenges, including Parkinson’s disease and congestive heart failure. He often joked, “If this doesn’t get me, something else will.” His love for family, faith, and humor endured even in his later years. He enjoyed baking cookies, solving crossword puzzles, and taking his family camping in the summers.

David Jay Stowell is survived by his children, and many other family members and friends. He will be laid to rest on Tuesday, March 18, 2003, at 11 a.m. at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington, with full military honors.

David chose the following verse for his grave marker:
II Corinthians 12:9
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

David’s legacy of faith, service, and devotion to family will continue to inspire those who knew him.