David Scott Rowley

1929 - 2019

June 23, 1929 ~
December 18, 2018
David Scott Rowley, 89, beloved husband, dad, uncle, and Grandpa Boat, passed away peacefully after battling cancer for four years on December 18, 2018. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut and attended Princeton receiving both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 - 54, and met and married his first sweetheart, Isabel Brearley, in 1953. Together they had five children: Duncan, Kathy, Howard, and twins Laura and Karen. He worked as a research engineer for oil exploration companies in Oklahoma then settled in Salt Lake City working for Christensen Diamond Products (CDP). He was instrumental in the design and development of several innovative oil well drilling tools and had 23 separate patents. He was curious and creative, and he never stopped learning and sharing his wisdom, skills and wonderful sense of humor. Throughout his life, boating and being out on the water was a passion. Family vacations consisted of fishing, water skiing, and exploring Utah's lakes. He was active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and spent many weekends teaching boater safety, conducting boat inspections, going on patrols, and always just enjoying being out on the water. After retiring to Coronado, CA in 1987, he and Isabel continued boating in San Diego Bay and into the ocean and spent a long summer cruising the Intracoastal Waterway. Isabel passed away in 2000, and in 2003, Dave married his second sweetheart, Sharron Heller. They moved to Ocean Hills in 2005 where Dave continued to be active and serve on different homeowner committees. They loved being with family, and Dave always had good stories and a few inappropriate jokes to share. Laughter and joy were steady requirements. David was an inspiring, intelligent, and caring man. He leaves behind his wife Sharron, five children and their spouses, ten grandkids, several nieces and nephews, and his Molly dog.
A memorial service will be held by the family at the Ocean Hills Country Club (4600 Leisure Village Way, Oceanside, CA 92056) on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 10:00 am, with subsequent interment with military honors at Fort Rosecrans in San Diego.