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James Cowan Obituary

COWAN, James H. III
Of Rochester

Age 60, of Rochester, NY, died Sunday, November 11, 2007, at Rochester General Hospital after a year-long battle with cancer. Jim was the son of James H. Cowan Jr. and Carol Cowan of Corning, NY and graduated in 1965 from Corning East High School. He graduated from Ottawa University in Kansas in 1969 and enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving as medical personnel in Germany for 3 years. After his Military Service, he pursued graduate studies at Syracuse University and then became a Certified Blood Banking Specialist. He was employed at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for 15 years. At the time of his death, he was employed at Clifton Springs Hospital in Clifton Springs, NY. Jim was a gentle, imaginative man who loved spending time exploring nature and traveling with his loving wife of five years, Chriss. He was an enthusiastic lifelong learner, an avid reader, and a devoted grandfather of three. He took an active interest in many humanitarian, environmental, and political issues. Jim is survived by his wife, Chriss; his son, Christopher (Emily) Cowan of Ithaca, NY and their daughters, Mela and Ava; his son, Eric Cowan of Kutztown, PA; stepdaughter, Lisa (Doug) Sakata of Silverthorne, Colorado and their son, Cole; stepson, Matthew Snyder of Kansas City, Kansas; parents, James Jr. and Carol Cowan of Corning, NY; brother, Mark (Pam) Cowan of Big Pond, PA; brother, Scott (Gigi) Cowan of Langhorne, PA; sister, Shelley (Si) Meyer of Corning, NY; and several nieces and nephews. His family will receive friends Tuesday, 4-7 p.m. at the Paul W. Harris Funeral Home at 570 Kings Highway South, Irondequoit, where his funeral service will be held Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. Interment, Riverside Cemetery. Memorial may be directed to the Lance Armstrong Foundation or The Adirondack Mountain Club, Genesee Valley Chapter.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Star-Gazette on Nov. 13, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
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Sally Kelly

November 14, 2007

I remember my cousin Jimmy as a quiet but caring person. In particular, I recall the time he came by himself to visit my family when we lived in Iowa City around 1967 or 1968. He stayed for a couple of days. During that time, he spent hours with me and my sisters, riding bikes and talking. I’m not sure what brought him to spend those couple of days at our house, but it did make an impression on me as a young girl of seven or eight. He was kind, fun loving, and willing to spend time with us, doing things we wanted to do. To me he has always been my big cousin Jimmy, who came one weekend to graciously entertain his three little cousins and give his Aunt Ruthie a break.
Thank you Jimmy for spending the time with us.
Your loving cousin,
Sarah (Sally) Ruth Banker Kelly

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