John Kowalski, 71, passed away on Friday, February 7th, 2014 at Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas. He was born on May 26th, 1942 in Boise, Idaho to John Edward and Bertha Blanche (Mount) Butler.
John grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa in 1960. After high school he joined the US Army in 1960 serving for 3 years in Company A, 6th Missile Battalion, 43rd Artillery in Pottawattamie County, Iowa and Company B, 4th Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery in Korea. He supported the Nuke-Hercules Missile system, a surface-to-air and surface-to-surface guided missile system with nuclear capability. He received the highest missile MOS proficiency rating during 1962 to 1963.
He worked at Rockwell International for most of his career, starting at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa location in 1974 and retiring in 1991 in north central Texas. He then worked for CSC and Raytheon until retiring completely in 2004.
John married Pam Schwarzenbach on September 18, 1965 in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were happily married for 48 years with many of those years spent in Benton County, Iowa. He considered himself very lucky to have been able to accomplish most of his dreams including earning a private pilot certification for ASEL (airplane, single engine land). He also enjoyed woodworking on any scale, gardening, playing the guitar & banjo; and as of late compiling the family genealogy.
His greatest joy, however, was his family. He was the most loving and thoughtful husband, father and grandfather. John is survived by his spouse Pam of Trenton, Texas; his daughters Mia (Shawn) Morgan of Macungie, Pennsylvania and Molly (Mark) McKay of Warrenton, Virginia; his brother Bill of Yuma, Arizona; and his two grandsons Cían and Colin McKay of Warrenton, Virginia.
Per the family’s request, no services will be held. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 302 N. 2nd Street, Trenton, TX 75490.