John "Jack" Philip Fowler

John Philip Fowler, 86, of La Jolla said his long, last goodbye to his family on October 1, 2014. Jack, as family and friends called him, was the devoted husband for 62 years of Mary and loving dad to Theresa Harrison, Cathy Calcagno, Michael Fowler, and John Fowler. He leaves a legacy of grandchildren, Michael Fowler, Jacqui Ignatova, Melanie Armour, Meghan Harrison, Alice Harrison, Samantha Harrison, Nicole Fowler, Jocelyn and Joshua Fowler, and four great grandchildren.

The only son of Philip Lorenzo Fowler and Ruth Norberry Fowler was born on July 5, 1928 and named after the composer, John Philip Souza. John’s earliest memories were of Highland Park, when it was orange and walnut groves. John once recalled about the Great Depression, “If you were going to starve, why not in a nice climate and beautiful area?” His father, Philip Fowler worked as an accountant with the Water and Power Company and under the direction of the legendary William Mulholland, and John’s mother, Ruth graduated from U.C.L.A. and taught art in the Los Angeles public schools for nearly 30 years. According to John, he never inherited his father’s musical talent, a radio baritone during the 1930s, “When they enrolled me in an accordion school, it wasn’t long before my father was playing the instrument and I was out playing Kick the Can.” John listened to “Jack Armstrong, the All American Boy” or the “Lone Ranger” or “Shadow” or “Jack Benny.” The three stations in L.A. broadcast major league games by reading tickertape play-by-play off the telegraph, with sound effects such as the crack of a bat for hits. John said it was “almost better than being there--almost.” John reminisced of watching a cartoon, news short, and full-length feature film for 25 cents at the local movie house, and even more exciting was when the movie studios set up “location” on the nearby campus of Occidental College. According to John, “Word traveled quickly around the neighborhood, as local kids gawked at Laurel and Hardy and the Keystone Cops and dreamed of being discovered and made a star like the Our Gang kids.”

In the 1930s, John’s family visit to the World’s Fair in San Diego ignited his interest in transportation, which would become his life’s work. John’s family moved in 1939 to a new home in East Hollywood and John thought this was a mansion, which even included rooms for renters. John explored Griffith Park, caught crawfish, and mowed lawns in summer. During WWII, John, who was in Junior High at the time, and his father, the Air Raid Warden for L.A., walked the streets at night checking for light leaks. By the summer of 1942, John’s resume expanded from soda jerk to gas station attendant to pin setter at the local bowling alley for 10 cents/game, and sometimes pulled in $1.50. One job was ushering for the NBC radio broadcast shows, which meant audience recruitment and keeping young girls from going wild over Frank Sinatra.

In 1945, the war ended, but not the draft. John enlisted in the Navy, serving in Port Hueneme and Guam until 1948, when he returned on a Navy cargo ship with copra, chopped coconut, and a major infestation of black copra bugs. John explained, “They didn’t bite, but you couldn’t kill them. You just dusted them off you and your food. The bugs died when we got to colder northern Pacific.”

It was on his return from duty that John met the “Little Red Haired Girl” down his street. A firecracker tossed in the palm tree near her house afforded him the chance to meet Mary Undercoffler. Their first date was stock car races in Gardena, and followed more dates at Nite Lite Café as breaks from college studies, and dancing to Big Bands of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Les Brown, Nat King Cole in ballrooms in Santa Monica, Venice, and Pasadena. However, the Korean Conflict interrupted this fun in 1950, when John received the call back to active duty. He proposed to Mary before he left, with a wedding date left open as the Navy controlled the calendar. John’s last minute reassignment to Adak meant not enough foul weather clothing to go around; he arrived in Alaska wearing dress blues, low dress shoes, and a pea coat. “Adak was cold but there was no shooting,” showed John’s positive attitude in any situation. John ran the power plant for communication and monitored the base. John returned to the “Little Red Haired Girl” of his dreams on December 21, as he walked back Kenmore Avenue with a sea bag over his shoulder.

John and Mary wed on January 5, 1952 in Hollywood and their love affair lasted 62 years. During the next decade, John finished his B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Southern California, and worked as a surveyor for the County of Los Angeles, while Mary taught kindergarten to support their growing family. In 1960, John secured a job with the City of San Diego and the family of six moved from Glendale to La Jolla. Their new home was adjacent to Camp Matthews, soon to become U.C.San Diego.

John’s work at the City of San Diego, included positions as Street Superintendent, City Engineer, Director of Public Works, and Assistant City Manager, and projects such as Mission Valley Flood Control, Development of Mission Bay, San Diego Redevelopment Project, and the San Diego Trolley was his particular favorite. John felt strongly that mass transit should link all parts of San Diego and his hope was “to avoid the urban sprawl of Los Angeles.” Following a trip to Germany during the 1970s, John returned with a vision of fire engine red trolleys moving San Diegans everywhere. By 2009, John’s dream of connecting the city came true as his children and grandchildren rode the trolley to Petco Park and San Diego State.

John served on numerous committees including the California Coastal Commission, the High Speed Rail Commission, Water Power Authority, Society of Civil Engineers, the Bishop’s Committees for overseeing St. Vincent De Paul Village in San Diego and the building of new Catholic high schools. After thirty years of public service, John retired from the City of San Diego, with his request of no gifts. The City of San Diego agreed, instead, to host a fundraising retirement roast in John’s honor, and proceeds to an SDSU scholarship for students following John’s example. John worked with Rick Engineering for another decade before embracing retirement and traveling the world with Mary. They documented their trips on a wall map in their study, instilling a desire for learning and traveling in their children and grandchildren. John welcomed technology, including Face book and Skype, passing on humorous posts from his numerous friends. Mary and John also supported the Opera, San Diego Symphony, and the arts.

John taught us compassion, kindness, and patience. As in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, John set out to capture memories on paper before they disappeared. He typed their stories, including many here. John was a man of integrity, a learned man and a man who never stopped learning, a generous man and one who kept giving, a loving man and one who loved to the end. Would that we experience the love that John shared, that we practice kindness and compassion for others, that we learn as he did, and that we give of ourselves to make our community a better place.

Arrangements under the direction of El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA.