D Peter Herrick Rowley

D. Peter Herrick Rowley was born on his mother’s birthday, 21 September during THE hurricane of 1938 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Yvette Marie Bourcier and Donald Downs Rowley. Peter ‘s first language was French and he lived in Montréal until the death of his mother in 1948 then moved to Edgewater Farm, Willsboro, NY and was under the care of his aunt Winifred Rowley Gordon and uncle, Charles H. Rowley. Peter’s father, Donald Downs Rowley had been wounded by ‘friendly fire’ on Guadalcanal during WW II and was in Colorado for extensive medical treatment. Peter attended school in Willsboro until the 10th grade when he moved back to Quebec, Derby Line, to live with his father and graduated from Stanstead College, Stanstead, QC in June of 1956.

Peter immediately joined the US Army in September of 1956 (his father signing the papers as Peter was just 17 years old]. Peter served in the Army from 1956 -1960, stationed in Germany and France while posted overseas. Upon his honorable discharge, Peter immediately enrolled in Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL – in the engineering program. Peter worked as an ambulance driver for a local funeral home during his years in Tallahassee and was very proud that he assisted at the birth of several babies. After two years at FSU, he transferred to University of Florida. During the summer of 1963 Peter and several other UF engineering students spent the summer in California working on the CA road system around Los Angeles. In April 1964 he was awarded the Benton Engineering Society service key for his outstanding service as the President of the Student Chapter, American Society of Civil Engineers [ASCE], and was graduated from the UF School of Engineering on the 8th of August 1964. His first job was with the Veterans Administration, building VA hospitals in the Miami area.

On 23 December 1963 Peter married Martha Lou Smith in Gainesville, Alachua Co., FL where they celebrated the birth of Peter’s first son, Donald Herrick Rowley on the 29th of June 1964. In December 1966 Peter moved to Texas and was employed by Collins Radio in their Construction Department as Collins Radio expanded the Richardson campus. His daughter, Lisa Yvette, was born 25 April 1967. In 1968 the couple separated and a divorce was granted in 1969. On the 8th of May 1970 Peter and Sandi Lee Craig were united in marriage at the First United Methodist Church, Richardson, TX. Peter received legal custody of his two birth children in February of 1971. On the 5th of July that year the family was completed by the birth of a son, Craig Austin Rowley.

In February 1972 Peter went to work for Marshall Erdman & Associates as a Project Manager in the Dallas area for constructing turn-key medical facilities. He became Construction Manager for several regional offices, including Dallas, Denver and Washington, D.C. with about 40 personnel working with him. In 2006 he retired from Erdman after 34 years and established his own consulting business, CAM Services [Construction Assessment & Management] where he had various projects across the State of Texas.

Peter was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and registered as a Professional Engineer in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Arizona.

Peter’s personal motto was to have three areas of his life in balance: God, Family and Work. He was a member of both Christ United Methodist Church, Plano, TX and the Willsboro Congregational Church – United Church of Christ in Willsboro, NY which his ancestors founded in 1816. He served as a trustee in both churches. Peter believed in giving back to the community and was a card carrying Optimist – a founding member in 1994 of the Plano Optimist Club and an active member of the Dallas Town North Optimist Club – serving as President in both clubs as well as several other offices. At Christ United Methodist Church, he was active in the MSG –[Men’s Service Group], Amigo’s [service and home maintenance in the Dallas area], a member of the Forum Class and traveled to Bolivia in 1996 on a mission trip. For years he was involved in the planning for the annual Turkey Dinner, which one year had an attendance of 1,400 people.

His love of history and pride in America was reflected by his active participation in the Sons of the American Revolution, on a local, state and national level. He served as President of the Plano Chapter, was the State of TX Oration Chair , VP for District 11, and had been the North Texas Color Guard Commander. For many years he helped judge History Fair Contests in the PISD. His Color Guard uniform was based on the uniform his ancestor Capt. Caleb Haight wore during the Revolution in the 6th Albany, NY Militia. Peter even had a “Red Coat” and often portrayed Gen. John Burgoyne – to give the British view of the war…and had to laugh when an enthusiastic fifth grader told him “To go home – America doesn’t need you Brits!”

Peter helped establish the Craig Austin Rowley Chapter of the Society of the War of 1812 in Plano – and had served three years as the TX State 1812 President and the Gulf Coast VP on a national basis. He was very proud to have an 1812 uniform [as a marine officer reflecting his ancestor Truman Chase’s efforts on Lake Champlain during that war] and carried the flag all day at activities in Maryland at Fort McHenry this past September at the bicentennial of the Star Spangled Banner celebration there. On January 24, 2015 he was able to participate as Chaplain in the dedication of an 1812 grave marker for Benjamin Dye at the William Angus Ferris Cemetery near White Rock Lake.

After the deaths of his son and granddaughter he participated in the Plano/Collin Co. Chapter of the Compassionate Friends – a self-help organization for bereaved parents, grandparents and adult siblings. His thoughtfulness and insights have been a beacon for many over the past 16 years with that organization.

His pride and love of his children – both birth and heart – was only exceeded by the pride and joy that he derived from his grandchildren. His calendar was already marked for the graduation from high school of Bria in June and the graduation from college of Ben penciled in for December. He will be there in spirit.

Peter was preceded in death by both parents, a beloved son, Craig Austin Rowley, and his first granddaughter, Haley Anissa Garcia. He is survived by his best friend, and wife, Sandi Lee Craig, sharing a life of 46 years; His children: Don H. Rowley, wife Kelley and two grandsons, Ian and Isaac; Shonda Lee Laures, husband Jeff and grandchildren Ben, Zachary, Brandon and Sierra; Trisha Lynn Garcia, husband Sal and grandchildren Bria and Jonah; Lisa Yvette Reid, husband Jeff and grandson Russell.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers a memorial donation be made to any of the following so that Peter’s community service work might continue:

List of 4 for Plano:

Society of the War of 1812

Craig Austin Rowley Chapter

c/o Cecil Coale, Jr.

1391 Camino Real

McKinney, TX 75069

Plano/Collin Co. Chapter

The Compassionate Friends

c/o Trisha Garcia

3904 Champions Court

Flower Mound, TX 75028-8511

Dallas Town North Optimist Club

Communication Contest for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

North Texas Optimist Club Foundation for CCDHH

c/o Earnest W. Deadwyler

6922 Mill Falls Drive

Dallas, TX 75248

Boy Scouts of America – Troop #25

Mika Graham

2210 Thornbury Lane

Allen, TX 75013

List of 3 for Willsboro, NY

Children’s Memorial Garden

c/o Lori Provost

3657 Essex Road

Willsboro, NY 12996

Willsboro Heritage Society

c/o Ron Bruno

205 Farrell Road

Willsboro, NY 12996

Willsboro CUCC

Peter Rowley Memorial Fund

P.O Box 714

Willsboro, NY 12996

Ted Dickey West Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas has charge of arrangements.