James K. "Jimmy" Cowan

James K. Cowan, 77, passed away on October 22, 2023. Born in Baton Rouge, LA, he was the son of the late Owen and Ruby Cowan and predeceased by his beloved wife of 55 years, Joan Cowan and his son John Luke.
To know Jimmy was to love him. He had a heart of gold and never said "No" to helping anyone whether it was chauffeuring his family, taking friends to the grocery store, or helping anyone in need. He loved helping people and was all about human connection. He served in the US Navy from 1963 to 1969 and transitioned into a position with the Federal Government from which he retired in 2010. He loved to create all things art whether it was painting, prints, widdling wood, and poetry. You might even say he was obsessed with music – he had an extensive collection and loved getting recommendations of music he had never heard before. He thoroughly enjoyed sports especially college basketball. He knew all of the stats for every team during March Madness. Jimmy loved fantasy and Sci-fi especially anything Lord of the Rings. He and his Joanie loved collecting and selling antiques and traveling together.
Left to cherish James' memory is his daughter Tina Cowan, daughter Joanna Cowan, son in law Wayne Phillips, his sister Ina Rae Parks, sister-in-law Martha Ann Turpin, nephew Orion Turpin, grandchildren Kettren Wyatt (Husband Jesse), Sean "Alex" Mansfield and Ashley Skinner, and great grandsons Owen and Forrest.
A graveside service will be held for James on Monday, October 30, 2023, at 1:00 PM at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 8100 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23505. The family will receive friends and family at the Virginia Beach Moose Family Center at 3133 Shipps Corner Rd in Virgnia Beach from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in James' name to the Norfolk SCPA (https://norfolkspca.com/donate/).