Lemuel Alonza Rowlette

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Lemuel Alonza Rowlette passed from this life into eternal life everlasting on 26 Aug 2010 @ 0123 hours at the age of 70. He was born December 3, 1939 in Norfolk, Virginia to James and Matilda Rowlette. The family later moved to Petersburg, Virginia.

Lemuel was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Sheila R. McCullough and, Kenneth L. Horton who became a medical services officer following in his father’s footsteps.

Lemuel graduated from Peabody High School and Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia where he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant through ROTC to the medical service corps. In 1962 he was assigned to the medical field service school where he graduated with honors in the area of patient administration. In 1968 he served as a combat medical officer in Vietnam. In 1976 he received a diploma from the Academy of Health Services at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. He advanced his education further by attaining a Master’s Degree in Health Administration in 1977. Then in 1978 the U.S Army assigned LTC Lemuel A. Rowlette to the Department of Defense in which he was awarded the Defense Identification Badge. In 1980 LTC Lemuel A. Rowlette was assigned to the position of Director of Administration at one of the top U.S Army medical hospitals at Fitzsimmons in Aurora, Colorado. LTC Rowlette retired from this assignment at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital after 22 years of military services with the following medals, badges, citations, campaign ribbons and awards: The National Defense Medal with 4 bronze service stars, Vietnamese Campaign Medal with 60 device, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, 2 Overseas BARS, Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge. Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

LTC Rowlette was not ready to hang up his uniform; he joined the Denver JROTC Brigade. In 1985 he became the (SAI) Senior Army Instructor at Montebello High School where he and the AI (Army Instructor) built A JROTC program second to none, which the only JROTC program to win the National Championships and maintained Honor Unit with Distinction during his entire tenure as a SAI.

In keeping with his ability to excel, LTC Rowlette became the DAI (Director of Army Instruction) for Denver Public Schools in which he served his nation for an additional 15 years.

Along the way, LTC Rowlette commanded the chapter of the Disabled American Veterans and received the Award for Disabled Veterans and he is a Lifetime member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

LTC Rowlette is survived by his wife of 27 years, Catherine D. Rowlette; sister, Judith A. Warren (Howard); Rochelle L. Briscoe; Kavon Horton; grandchildren, Amber C. Briscoe (raised as a daughter); Marishka M. Bright-Horton; daughter-in-law Karen A. Horton; niece, Katherine Warren-Lewis of Virginia, and a nephew Howard Warren Jr. of Maryland.

A Home going Celebration will be held on Thursday, 2 September 2010 at 11:30 a.m. at Olinger Hampden Chapel, 8600 E. Hampden Ave., Denver Colorado 80231. The Dignity Funeral Home with burial at Fort Logan Cemetery. The family may be contacted at 303-373-5713