Denis Cowen

Denis Cowen was known as many things to many people. He was a loved one, a friend, and a special neighbour. To family and friends who knew him best, Denis will be remembered as a happy, friendly, and generous man; a handyman, joker and entertaining storyteller.

Denis was born on June 13, 1929, at home (Victoria Road) in Thornaby, England. He was the son of William Cowen and Agnes Plummer. Denis grew up in Thornaby and being born almost a century ago meant he was witness to a lot of changes in the world during his lifetime. He shared memories of horse-drawn carriages, and the first automobiles in the village. During the war, he remembered watching airplanes and V2 rockets flying overhead, on their way to bomb the local airport.

Denis was raised with three siblings, an older brother Eric, an older sister Olwyn and a younger sister Eileen. Being a sort of 'middle child' (he was 10 years younger than Eric and six years older than Eileen), he ended up spending a great deal of time amusing himself. He often talked about no one knowing where he was and not seeming to care! Although he wasn't close to his siblings growing up, he and Eric formed a bond when they lived in Canada together and the brothers enjoyed many a fishing trip in the wilds of northern Ontario.

As a young boy, Denis enjoyed playing and making up games, many of which would not be considered appropriate or safe nowadays. He was curious about the world around him and was always eager to explore, often bringing friends along who would later be in trouble with their parents for going far afield without permission. He got into all kinds of mischief such as riding his bike through people's washing and ringing doorbells then running away. In his spare time, he loved to go fishing with his dad on their motorbike/sidecar (which often broke down) and spent hours exploring the countryside chasing cows and climbing trees to collect conkers and bird's eggs.

As a teenager, Denis was a member of the local Air Force Cadets at the Thornaby Aerodrome where he guarded Italian prisoners of war who worked on the nearby farms during the day. He was thrilled to be able to carry a gun, even though it had the firing pin removed! Later, he was a member of the Royal Air Force. He signed up at 17 because of his love of airplanes but was disappointed he could never become a pilot due to loss of hearing in his left ear thanks to a bout of Scarlet Fever as a small child. Instead, he learned to do electrical and mechanical work on aircraft. Denis did not see action as the Second World War had just ended before he joined up. He was very proud of his brother Eric, however, who fought in North Africa against General Rommel as part of the brigade known as 'The Desert Rats'. The Air Force provided Denis with valuable work skills and lots of tales to tell about his misadventures, but after five years he was ready for a change and was discharged.

While growing up, some of his best friends were kids that lived in the same street or group of streets in the neighbourhood. He talked about the Drinkle family, two of which, Arthur and Ernie, figure prominently in stories of his youth. He had some close friends in the Air Force, one of whom sadly died in a motorcycle accident. He got up to all kinds of shenanigans with his bunkmates at the mine in Elliot Lake. Later in life, he met people through work at Algoma Steel and spent time with Norman Brown, Walter Middleton, Drago Wolf, Joe Esterbrook and Rainer Harju. He never really had a best friend but seemed to make friends and acquaintances wherever he went whether it was 'Uncle' Ron he met while staying at Seymour Lake, Dieter Krumbach from Bright Lake, 60 plus years of neighbours on McMeeken Street or his pals from the George Leach Centre.

Denis was intelligent but never achieved high marks in school. He was always getting into trouble for his messy work, because, being left-handed, he was forever smudging the ink on his page. He went to Westbury Street Junior School until he was 11 and then attended four years of high school at Robert Atkinson. His math skills served him well in his future work and on his home projects, and history was a passion his whole life. He often told stories of 'Pop' Allen, the Headmaster and 'Hooky' Britain who taught him Science. The teachers were very strict but Denis still got up to no good which often resulted in him having to go 'fetch the cane and book'. On his very first day of high school, he got into trouble and when a teacher asked his name, he responded 'Cowen' and the teacher said, 'Not another one'. He graduated from high school in 1944 at 15 years old and started work and night school to further his education.

He worked at the Admiralty to gain experience. His boss recognized Denis's talents and recommended that he go to school for metallurgy. This involved leaving Thornaby to study in another part of the country. When he asked his mother for permission to go, she said NO. He never quite understood why, and was disappointed not to be able to pursue the opportunity. It was at this point in his life that he decided to join the Air Force. After serving five years he worked as an electrician for Anderson and Son, a contracting company.

Tired of the long hours, overtime and unsafe working conditions he had to endure to earn a decent wage, he decided to join his brother in Canada. He arrived in Sault Ste. Marie in 1957 and gained employment at Algoma Steel. Although he often expressed uncertainty about his career choices, for the most part, he enjoyed what he did for a living. His primary occupation was as an electrician, but he spent most of his time at Algoma Steel as a Substation Operator. When he was laid off during the first year, he did a brief stint in construction then headed to Elliot Lake to work in the mine. He spent three months working underground on electrical projects and fixing machinery before leaving to return to England where he worked once again as an electrician for Anderson and Son.

On September 6th, 1958, Denis exchanged wedding vows with Jean Birrell Sanderson at the Registry Office in Guisborough, England. Little did she know at the time, the very next year, Jean would be emigrating to Canada to start a new life in a new country and that two children would be born to make their lives complete. They arrived in April 1959, and Denis began work once again at Algoma Steel where he would stay for the next 30 years.

Denis was an active man all his life. In the Air Force, he was part of a tug-of-war team that traveled to compete against other teams. When he first came to Canada, he liked to hike and bike in the summer, and ski in the winter. He enjoyed bowling and his team won several trophies. He loved going for daily walks and rode his bike until he was 91 years old. Even at 93 he insisted he could still do it if his family would let him! Denis was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favourite events whenever he had the chance to do so. Tops on his list were golf and curling.

Denis enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. His favourite pursuits were tinkering in his shed in the backyard or his workroom in the house. He loved to build and fix things. He enjoyed riding his bike, fishing, camping and staying in cottages. He was fond of tending his tomatoes in the back garden and loved to sit out on the back deck drinking tea and reading in his Adirondack chair. Evenings were spent watching his favourite TV shows such as Jeopardy, Heartbeat, Forged in Fire, the Sharpe series and anything about aliens.

Den did not typically like venturing too far from home, but he did enjoy family vacations. He loved camping in the tent trailer in various places around Ontario and Michigan, staying in cottages at Brownlee Lake in Thessalon, Birchland on Clear Lake in Iron Bridge, and Dana's Lakeside Resort, aka "Mr. Frick's" in Au Train, Michigan. Once he retired, he enjoyed traveling with the Sunshine Club to destinations such as the Wisconsin Dells, Virginia, Branson and Nashville where he delighted his fellow bus passengers by taking on the role of Elvis in an evening show.

Denis was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One favourite pet was Lucky, a Border Collie. They were best friends for 16 years. He had a dog, Benji, for 17 years and his last pet was a cat named Daisy, which he inherited from his daughter for what was supposed to be a short period of time but ended up as several years as Daisy loved her new home so much.

When his retirement finally arrived at the age of 63 in 1992, Denis was ready. In retirement, he found pleasure in doing odd jobs around the house and working on projects. He constructed a martin house, a ship in a bottle, a wooden riding horse for Francis and countless other treasures.

Denis worked hard to be a good father to his children, a daughter Jeanette and a son Bill, and he did his best to fulfill their needs. He never earned a huge wage, but always managed to take the family on holidays in the summer and his little house on McMeeken Street was a perfect place to grow up and later, for he and Jean to remain without having to 'downsize' after their children left home. Denis was blessed with three wonderful grandchildren, Evan, Elliott and Francis, all of them sporting red hair just like he had when he was a kid.

Denis passed away on April 25, 2023, at Sault Area Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Den was lucky to be relatively healthy his whole life, until the last six months when complications from multiple myeloma, and congestive heart failure began to take their toll. He is survived by his wife Jean, children Jeanette and Bill, grandchildren Evan, Elliott and Francis, sister Eileen and several nieces and nephews in Canada and England. A visitation was held at the Arthur Funeral Home. Denis was cremated and his ashes were scattered in some of his favourite places - on the berms next to his special bench overlooking the St. Marys River, at Sailor’s Encampment on St. Joseph Island where he loved to stay during the summers, and in his children's gardens where he spent so much of his time.

Simply stated, Denis was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by his family and friends as being a funny, caring and giving person; someone who was a vital part of their lives. Denis leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life Denis touched will remember him fondly.

COWEN, Denis (Den) - June 13, 1929 - April 25, 2023

With great sadness we announce the passing of Den Cowen at the Sault Area Hospital with family by his side.

Special husband of Jean for 64 1/2 years. Beloved father of Jeanette and William (Katina). Proud Grandad to Evan and Grandpa "Fix-it" to Elliott and Francis. Brother of Eileen (late David) and predeceased by Olwyn (Chris) and Eric (Isa). Brother-in-law of Allan (Dorothy). Den had many nieces and nephews in both Canada and England.

Born in the North of England, he was a mischievous lad and it was not unusual for his parents to hear a rap at the door from an irate mother or father who would have a story about what young Denis had done this time. During the war, he watched airplanes and V2 rockets flying overhead, on their way to bomb the local airport. A love of planes convinced him to join the Royal Air Force at 17 where he served for 5 years.

After leaving the Air Force, he trained to be an electrician, deciding in 1957 to join his brother in Canada, where he worked at Algoma Steel and briefly down the mines in Elliot Lake before returning home to get married. He returned to Canada with his new wife Jean in 1959, settling in Sault Ste. Marie, where he worked once again at Algoma Steel for the next 33 years.

Den loved the wilderness of northern Ontario and Michigan’s upper peninsula, enjoying camping, fishing and staying in cottages with his family. He was a dedicated handyman, always hanging on to scraps of wood and old nails 'just in case’. He loved tinkering in his shed, tending his tomato plants, and enjoyed afternoon tea on his deck during the summer. An avid reader, Denis was a regular patron at the public library, and also had a large collection of books at home. One of his favourite topics was the history of UFOs. He rode his bike until he was 90 and enjoyed working out with his friends at the George Leach Centre, even in his 93rd year.

To his family he was a wealth of knowledge, as well as an entertaining storyteller who made us all laugh with his great sense of humour. His pleasures were simple: his home, his family, good neighbours and walking in Bellevue Park where he liked to sit on one of the benches atop the berms and say, “Where else would a person want to live – I am so lucky.”

Thank you to the excellent staff at SAH, especially on 3B, Home and Community Care Support, Bayshore, CBI, CarePartners, Group Health and long-time physician, Dr. Bishop, for the care you provided our loved one.

Friends and family are invited to gather at the Arthur Funeral Home – Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E. -705-759-2522). on Sunday, May 7, 2023 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Memorial contributions by cheque or online to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation, ARCH Hospice, or a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Cowen family.

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