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Joseph DOWDELL Obituary
86, two-term mayor and longtime resident of Yellow Springs, passed away on October 6 at Miami Valley Hospital after a brief illness. He was
preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Marilyn Kelley Dowdell, his great friend and partner in life.
Born in Auburn, AL, and raised in Auburn and Warren, OH, Joe was the oldest son of
Vanderbilt and Millie P. Dowdell. Joe attended Warren G.
Harding High School, where he excelled in academics. He went on to earn a BS in Mathematics from Miami University (Ohio) and an MS in Systems Engineering from MIT. Over a nearly 40-year career in computer science, Joe rose through the ranks of the Air Force Civilian Service to become Technical Director, 88th Communications Group, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he managed virtually every aspect of computer technology and supported the Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He retired from Wright-Patterson in 1997.
Joe is survived by his daughters, Jennifer and Jacqueline Dowdell; brothers, James (Juanita), Millikin (Cheryl), and
Samuel Dowdell; and sister, Vancenia Rutherford. He is deeply missed by his family, friends, and community. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Yellow Springs Senior
Center, 227 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH 45387.
www.ysseniors.org. HHRoberts.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Joseph DOWDELL
Sponsored by H. H. Roberts Mortuary, Inc..
5 Entries
George Arola
December 18, 2023
I worked with Joe at ASD for 5 years from 1988-1993. Brilliant, kind, thoughtful, competent. Through him and his tech team, I was introduced to supercomputing and world class scientists. He and Marilyn even instilled a bit of culture in my wife and me through inviting us to attend Dayton Philharmonic concerts. I´m a little late on my condolences but just found this online.
Sharon Howard
October 18, 2021
I worked for Joe several years in the digital computing section at the ASD computer center at Wright Patt. He was hands down the best boss I ever had. Sorry to hear about his passing.
Paul Graham
October 17, 2021
He was one of a kind.
DT
October 14, 2021
As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends. Please find comfort in the words found at 2nd Thessalonians 2: 16,17.
David Heckler & Connie O'Brien
October 14, 2021
Our deepest sympathy on the passing of your father. We were your parents neighbors on Randall Rd. for a little over 15 years. We so enjoyed their warmth and the way they welcomed us into the neighborhood. We invited them to every party we had and they were a blast. So sorry for your loss. Your dad spoke with such pride about you both.
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