James B. "Jimmy" McGowan

James "Jimmy" Bartholomew McGowan, 65, of Foxboro passed away peacefully on Thursday March 13th at Life Care Center of West Bridgewater. He was born on June 17, 1959, in Niagara Falls, NY. He is the beloved husband of Stephanie (Ostis) McGowan and father of Ryanne Catherine and Harley James McGowan of Foxboro. He was preceded in death by his parents James M. and Joan M. (Sullivan) McGowan along with his mother and father-in-law Harley and Barbara A. (Cronin) Ostis.
A 1977 graduate of Foxboro High School and member of the football, basketball, and track and field teams, no one loved Foxboro more than Jimmy. Jimmy bled blue and gold, coaching varsity football at Foxboro High School for 38 years. Throughout his career he helped coach the Warriors to 14 league championships and 5 Massachusetts State Super Bowl Titles. He also worked as the Payroll Benefits Manager for the Foxboro Public Schools Department for 19 years until his retirement in 2023. Before that, he worked in the hotel and restaurant industry for many years.
Jimmy loved being by the ocean, especially going to Aruba on family vacations and to his in-laws' house on West Island. He loved his Aruba family and met many wonderful friends at the Divi Phoenix. Jimmy was an avid sports fan; he loved the Boston sports teams and watching college sports. His favorite team was his hometown New England Patriots, and he was thrilled to have been able to go to a Super Bowl to watch them play. He was also a highly recognized softball umpire, being one of the top high school umpires in Massachusetts and working at the college and professional level as well. He was chosen by the NCAA to umpire Division 1 college softball playoff games twice in his career. Even after he stopped umpiring, he continued his passion for softball by training new umpires, registering high school umpires in the area, and helping coach his daughter Ryanne's summer team. He also loved basketball. He officiated boys high school basketball games for many years, and after he worked the clock and score board for the Foxboro High School boys and girls basketball games. His love for his community also led him to serve on the Partners in Patriotism charitable committee for 9 years.
In addition to his wife and children, Jimmy is survived by his sister Catherine McGowan Kent of Newton, Kevin McGowan and his wife Kathy of Mansfield, John McGowan and his wife Yvonne of Norwood, sister-in-law Stacy Ostis and her late husband David of Foxboro, and his best friend who he considered his brother James Artz and his wife Megan of Norton. He also is survived by nieces Annabella and Chloe Ostis, Kaitlyn and Kelly McGowan, nephews John, Patrick, and Michael McGowan, and God Son Jake Artz and his siblings JD and Maddie.
Family and friends are kindly invited to attend calling hours on Monday, March 24th, from 4-7 PM at the Roberts and Sons Funeral Home, 30 South St. in Foxboro. A prayer service will follow at 7PM. Interment will be at a later date. To send an on-line condolence please visit the funeral home website at www.robertsandsonsfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jimmy's memory may be made to The League School of Greater Boston, where his son Harley has been a student since 2017. Donations can be sent to The League School for Autism. Attention of Development, 300 Boston Providence Highway, Walpole MA, 02032. Please direct questions to Tim McCabe (tmccabe@leagueschool.com).