John McGowan

McGowan, John
John "Jack" Francis McGowan, 74, of Manlius, NY, went to be with the Lord on Sept. 30, 2020. His was a life well-lived. Jack was born in Brooklyn, NY, on Aug. 5, 1946, to Wesley and Agnes (Smith) McGowan. He attended Our Lady Help of Christians Grammar School and Brooklyn Prep High School. Sadly, Jack's father passed away when he was 16. He was graduated with a degree in business from the Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA, in 1968. He went work for Uniroyal in New Haven, CT, upon graduation. On March 15, 1969, he married Regina Marie Gallagher at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn.
He was drafted into the United States Army in 1969 and served two years achieving the rank of Specialist E5. He served most of his time in Germany, made life- time friends and he and Regina were fortunate to travel throughout. While in Germany their first child Jennifer was born.
They returned to the US in 1971 and Jack went back to work for Uniroyal and he later joined Exxon Chemical and MSA Services in Connecticut. In 1989 he opened the Cheshire Consulting group working in logistics and distribution supply chain. CCG had many Fortune 500 clients in the United States and Canada.
They moved to Cheshire, CT, in 1973 and remained there for over 40 years. He filled these years with service to youth sports groups in Cheshire and was president of Cheshire Youth Baseball and Cheshire Gridiron Club. He developed his love of sports as a youngster and shared that enthusiasm with his family and friends. He was instrumental in building the high school baseball fields and getting lights on the football field.
Jack loved the outdoors whether he was tending to the pool or the pond he loved to observe nature and share that experience with family and friends. He was happy to offer canoe rides to any taker and would confidently explain which way the wind was blowing and if the thunder cloud ahead was truly a threat.
Jack was a man of exceptional wit and humor. He read widely and offered strong insight on many matters from politics to sports. Weekends and off hours would find him involved in a variety of household projects and he often had several going at one time. He loved nothing more than spending vacations with family, and time with friends. All who knew him described him as a generous, imaginative and supportive person who was kind to everyone he met. He and Regina enjoyed family Thanksgivings in Vermont and vacationed often in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where he was known to swim with the dolphins. A clam bake on the beach was Jack's idea of heaven on earth. When he would return to New York City, he loved the theater and particularly The River Café in Brooklyn. Jack and Regina enjoyed traveling with family and friends to football games, Alaskan Cruising, Ireland and many more memorable adventures.
After his retirement, he and Regina moved to Manlius in the Spring of 2017. Illness began to get the better of him in Dec. 2017 but he courageously faced each hurdle with resolve and good humor. In fact, a physician he had known for only two years said that when Jack died, "I feel like I have lost my best friend." The physician grew up in Brooklyn just a short distance from Jack, but they never met until Jack was treated at the VA Hospital in Syracuse.
Jack was a member of St. Ann's Church in Manlius.
He is survived by his wife, Regina; daughter Jennifer Conley and her husband, Dan; and his son, Sean, and his wife, Ashley. Jack had six grandsons: Zakary Conley, 17; Thomas Conley, 15, and Nathan Conley, 11, all of Manlius, NY; Liam McGowan, 9; Owen McGowan, 7, and Aden McGowan, 5, of Cheshire, CT.
He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Mike Bennett, of Waddington, NY; John and Pauline Gallagher of Brunswick, Maine; Michael and Rebekah Gallagher, of Rio Rancho, NM; and Tim and Cheryl Gallagher of Simi Valley, CA. He was predeceased by his sister, Carol Bennett, and brother-in-law, Charles D. Gallagher. Jack is also survived by many nieces and nephews who he loved deeply and share many Uncle Jack moments with.
The family would like to thank the medical staff at the VA Hospital in Syracuse and the Hospice nurses who cared for Jack with kindness and compassion.
A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at St. Ann's Church, 104 Academy St., Manlius, NY. Burial will be at the Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, NY. A private funeral mass was held for the family.
Contributions may be made to Hospice of CNY, 990 Seventh North St., Liverpool, NY 13088, CNY Food Bank, 7066 Interstate Island Rd., Syracuse, NY 13209 or Parallelized Veterans of America, 801 Elizabet St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.
For guest book, please visit:
www.SCHEPPFAMILY.com
NEWELL-FAY
Manlius 315-637-3214