Albert Charles McDowell

Albert Charles McDowell, 85, of Raleigh NC, died on October 1, 2023 after a belligerent battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Waverly, PA in 1938 to Cyrus McDowell and Alice Thatcher McDowell.

A decade before his death, Al compiled his “final words,” a 106-page summary of some of his ideas and wisdom. His advice to those surviving him was: see an opera; be aware of what you love and what you hate; and remember that even time spent on boring activities will have something to appreciate. His final wisdom was: “A lifetime is measured by the time spent doing and enjoying the things you love.” Al loved his family very much.

Al also loved opera, piloted sailplanes, ran marathons, and studied and theorized about physics. He maintained an active engagement with other physics enthusiasts and wrote the theoretical physics book Uncommon Knowledge. He called himself a heretic, but his wife, Sheila, would say he was an “independent thinker.” He loved a good wine, but also a cheap wine.

Al attended schools in Van Etten, NY before obtaining his BS in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and PhD in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell. His PhD thesis was originally rejected as implausible. However, his theories later became the industry standard. He was involved in the early years of digital storage and had a productive career in the industry. He was most fond of his time working directly with customers. Al and Sheila and their daughters lived in Connecticut, Colorado and California as Al progressed in his career. He and Sheila retired to Raleigh in 2001 to be near their children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his brother Arlo (Jay), his wife of 62 years, Sheila McDowell, daughters Katherine and Kim, grandchildren Raven, Nina, William, and Lindsey and their significant others and families.

Al was preceded in death by his parents and by his daughter Cindi McDowell.

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