Willis T. Cowing

Willis Terrill Cowing
October 31, 1932 – May 2, 2025
Willis ("Will") Terrill Cowing, age 92, in Rochester, NY on Friday, May 2nd, from complications due to heart failure.
Devoted husband of Marcia (Ruderman) Cowing, loving father of Ruth Elizabeth Cowing, Daniel Glen Cowing, and Rebekah McKay Cowing; father-in-law of David Creek, Mary Ann Gulizia, and Lee Kantz; grandfather of Claire Elise Cowing Creek, Benjamin Gulizia Cowing, and Jeremy, Eva and Julia Kantz.
Born in Joliet, IL, on October 31, 1932, to Glen and Eva McKay Cowing, Will read hundreds of books as a child, rode in a motorcycle gang at 14, and served in the US Army from 1954-56, where he visited Japan, discovering his lifelong love for Buddhism. He lived with his family in Beverly (Chicago), IL from 1969-2018, working for 33 years as a History teacher and Director of the Work Training Program at nearby Morgan Park High School, where he is fondly remembered by students for his deep knowledge and sense of humor. A true Renaissance man, Will was also a poet, inventor, philosopher, and dedicated advocate for the disabled. He was a longtime supporter of Access Living, and helped create ADAPT of Chicago Productions, producing a television program about disability rights. Will filmed demonstrations, edited content, and interviewed people, including (then) State Senator Barack Obama.
A public memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Sunday, July 6, 2025 at Bethany Union Church's Social Hall, 1750 W. 103rd St., Chicago, IL, followed by a private burial for the family at Elmhurst Cemetery in Joliet, IL.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Will's name to Access Living, 115 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60654 (accessliving.org), or to Circle Pines Center, 8650 Mullen Rd., Delton, MI 49046 (circlepinescenter.org). Both are non-profit organizations that were close to Will's heart.