Walter J. Gower

Walter J. Gower
of Johnson City
Walter J. Gower, 85, of Johnson City, went to be with the Lord on October 9, 2008 after a brief illness. He was born on November 30, 1922, son of Chester W. and Mary Gower. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II and was employed for 33 years by the IBM Corporation in Endicott. Throughout his life he was willing and eager to be of service to others. He was a longtime member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), of Endicott, where he held numerous positions of leadership and spent countless hours of volunteer service. During his retirement he was for many years a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels. In 1993 he was predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Betty M. Gower. He was also predeceased by his brothers, Charles and Robert Gower. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Richard A. and Penny Gower, Vestal; and his son, James D. Gower, New Britian, Connecticut; his sister, Jane Messersmith, Vestal; his brother and sister-in-law, Rodney and Alice Gower, Owego; granddaughters, Elisabeth Ives and her husband, Dan, Vestal, and Rebecca Anstey, Guilford; great-grandson, Taevan L. Ives, Vestal; and several nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed by his family and his many friends. His family wishes to thank his physician, Dr. Roy Gill, Gentiva, and Hospice for their care during the past months.
Funeral Services for Walter will be held Monday, October 13, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. at the Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, Inc., 300 E. Main Street, Endicott. Pastor Paul Griffiths will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Monday from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Walter's memory may be made to Hospice at Lourdes Hospital or the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 121 Madison Avenue, Endicott, N.Y.