Roger A. Dowe

Roger A. Dowe
Virginia Beach - Roger A. Dowe (Lt. Cmdr. Ret.) of Virginia Beach passed away peacefully on January 25, 2012 while visiting his home state of Maine.
A native of South China, Maine, Roger entered the Navy in May of 1965 and spent over 29 years moving up the ranks from fireman apprentice through Lt. Cmdr. He retired in August of 1994 as the Chief Engineer on the USS Mount Whitney. In addition to proudly serving during the Persian Gulf War, he also did tours on the USS Sierra, Naval Reserve Center, Little Creek, USS Elmer Montgomery, USS Charleston, USS Pensacola, USS Carl Vinson, Naval Station, Keflavik, Iceland, Naval Submarine Facility, New London, CT. and Naval Safety Center, Norfolk. He also received four Navy Commendation Medals and numerous other awards during his service. Following retirement, he attended Old Dominion University and received his Masters in Education. He taught at ODU as a graduate teaching assistant and later as an associate instructor. He taught technology education at Northside Middle School in Norfolk from 1996 until his retirement in 2007. During this time, he was actively involved in the Technology Student Association, taking hundreds of students to regional, state and national conferences. He was the recipient of the Spirit Award in Vocational Education for the city of Norfolk in 1998, Teacher of the Year for Northside Middle School, TSA Advisor of the Year for Virginia, and the Virginia Technology Educator of the Year of Virginia. Mr. Dowe was a member of the Boynton-Weber American Legion Post in South China, Maine, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Douglas MacArthur Post 392 in Virginia Beach, International Technology Association, VA Technology Association, was a 32nd degree Mason, and volunteered with the Red Cross.
He is survived by his loving wife Emily Dowe of 15 years; son, Gudmundur Dowe; daughter, Michele and husband John Lefebvre; son, Edmund and wife Melanie Dowe; and grandsons, Brandon Steigerwalt and Noah Dowe. He is also survived by his brother Richard and wife Barbara; brother, Robert and wife Madeline of Maine; sister, Dorothy Burke and husband George of Delaware; sister, Barbara Poulin; sister, Gloria Pinette; sister, Marilyn Bragg, all of Maine; brother-in law, Richard Hussey of Va.; sister-in law, Ines Meyersohn; sister in-law, Luz Maria Olarte and husband Dr. Efrain Olarte; sister-in law, Alicia Salcedo, all of Colombia, South America; sister-in-law, Blanca Victoria Montiel of Margarita Islands; sister-in law, Shanella Harrison of Canada; sister-in law, Helena Davis of Texas; brother in-law, Dr. Hernando Salcedo and wife Maria Victoria of NC, many cousins, more than forty nieces and nephews, and numerous great-nieces and nephews. He was the godfather for Sofia Espinosa of Canada and Emmanuel Gomez Leon of Colombia. He was predeceased by his parents, Edmund and Alice Dowe and brother Ronald Dowe of Maine and sister Ruth Hussey of Va.
Roger was a true family man with a deep sense of compassion and a one of a kind sense of humor, evidenced by the love of his family and the hundreds of friends he made over the years. He wanted so much to make a difference in the lives of others, and he certainly accomplished this throughout his life and as a tissue donor; with his passing, he received his wish to provide a more prosperous future for others. A memorial service with full military honors will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the local chapter of the Red Cross.