William Henry Rowden

1930 - 2022

William Henry Rowden

Willow Street, PA — William Henry (Bill) Rowden, a decorated military officer and devoted family man, died on Saturday, October 15th, 2022 in Willow Street, Pennsylvania at the age of 92 from complications of dementia, surrounded by family.

Bill Rowden was born on May 12, 1930 in Woodsville, New Hampshire to Henry Thomas and Katherine Maud (Gochey) Rowden, the second of what would be three children. His father owned and operated Rowden's Dairy in Wells River, Vermont and his mother assisted in running the business, with their children also working on the dairy farm. Bill graduated from Wells River High School in 1948 at the top of his class and took the oath of office at the U.S. Naval Academy that summer, graduating with a degree in Naval Science in 1952. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy and enjoyed a 36-year career, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral and receiving numerous awards, citations and medals for his accomplished service, including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

During his naval career, Admiral Rowden commanded numerous ships and other naval entities, including the USS Cormorant, USS Bauer, USS Lynde McCormick, USS Columbus, Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three, the U.S. Sixth Fleet, Military Sealift Command and Naval Sea Systems Command. After retiring from naval service, Admiral Rowden served as a director of the Naval Historical Foundation, a fellow at the Center for Naval Analysis and as Chairman of the Board of Maersk Line, Limited.

In July 1955, while assigned to the USS Cormorant based in Long Beach California, Lieutenant (junior grade) Rowden met Sarah Ives Sumner (known as Sally), a school teacher originally from Rockford, Illinois who lived in the same small apartment complex. They were engaged by that fall and married the following April in Sasebo, Japan, after LTjg Rowden, in command, led the transfer of the ship's homeport. For the next 55 years, the couple traveled the world in the service of the U.S. Navy and their own senses of adventure, raising a family of three children along the way. Sally passed away in October of 2011.

Bill was again blessed when he found love with Pat (Gibney) Hebert. They were married in August 2013, and together enjoyed life and family in their home in Willow Street, PA. Pat's steadfast support of Bill as he battled dementia was his anchor throughout the rest of his life.

While his Vermont roots stayed with him is entire life and, in his later years, he reminisced fondly about his early life in Wells River taking care of the cows and enjoying the cool waters of the Connecticut River in the summer, the Navy was really the centerpiece of Bill's life. In his own words, marking his 50th anniversary from graduating from the Naval Academy in 2002: "I loved the Service. Most memorable events of my Navy life were my first Officer of the Deck underway watch in a destroyer, the times I took a ship to sea as her Captain and the day I married Sal in a Quonset hut made into a chapel in Sasebo Japan in 1956."

Bill Rowden is survived by his older brother Dean and younger sister Jane, his children Jane, Tom and John, five grandchildren Fiona, Jack, John, Nick, and Maeve, his wife Pat and her two sons Bob and Michael.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill Rowden's memory may be made to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, 875 N. Randolph Street Suite 225,

Arlington, VA 22203 or to the Willow Valley Communities Charitable Foundation, 425 Willow Valley Lakes Drive, Willow Street, PA 17584 (please write "Memory Center" on the check).