William Alexander "Bill" Cowan Jr.

1925 - 2013

William Alexander "Bill" Cowan Jr., 87, passed away Friday, March 22, 2013, at a hospice in Fort Worth after a long illness. Celebration of life: pending. Interment: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Bill was born Sept. 3, 1925, in Los Angeles, Calif., the son of William Alexander Cowan Sr. and Ruby Frank Cowan Reed. On Oct. 11, 1952, he married Anita Kathyrn Grafa in Fort Worth. Mr. Cowan proudly served in the United States Air Force during World War II and the Korean War. He was a highly decorated war hero and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as a gunner in Korea. He served with the 839th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, in England and the 13th Bomb Squadron (The Devils Own Grim Reapers), 3rd Bomb Group, 5th Air Force, in Korea. After his retirement from the service, Mr. Cowan was instrumental in the reactivation of the 13th Bomb Squadron, now assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Mo. He held positions with the Saginaw Police Department, UTA security and J&L Tank Co. in Saginaw. After retirement he liked to make birdhouses and tinker in his shop. William was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, John "Jack" Cowan. Survivors: Beloved wife of 60 years, Anita Cowan; sons, Alan Cowan (Donna) of Boerne and Douglas Cowan (April) of Mount Pleasant, Iowa; daughters, Phylis Hornick (Alonzo) of Fort Worth and Kathy Koza (John) of College Station; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sisters, Barbara Reeves and Margaret Pemberton; and brother, Richard Cowan.