Obituary of Tommy Gowan, Jr.

OBITUARY – Thomas Edward “Tommy” Gowan, Jr. – West Columbia – A Celebration of Life service for Thomas Edward “Tommy” Gowan, 69, of West Columbia will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at Northside Baptist Church, 4347 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072. Pastors Steve Allen and John Hoppe will officiate.  The family will greet friends following the service in the church sanctuary. Woodridge Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Tommy Gowan passed away May 23, 2021. Born in Conway, he was the son of the late Thomas Edward Gowan, Sr., and Margaret Riddle Gowan. A long-time member of Northside Baptist Church where Tommy taught adult Sunday School prior to Covid, he also attended Calvary Chapel in Lexington with his wife and granddaughters.  His Sunday School class and his nieces and nephews affectionately called him “the donut man” because he enjoyed bringing Krispy Kreme donuts to them on Sundays.

In 2015, Tommy truly dedicated his life to the Lord.  He got up faithfully at 5a.m. for his quiet time devotions before hitting the road for his job in sales.  Above all else, he wanted to be a Christian example to others.   Faith and humor defined Tommy’s personality. Because of his faith, he knew that life is really just a brief “passing through” journey for all of us and not a final destination.  He was able to remain joyful in the face of hardships that others would consider dire, fully aware that everything in this life is just temporary and not lasting.  This realization also allowed him to inject humor into situations where others’ spirits needed to be lifted.  His quick wit was always a welcome reprieve in any gloomy circumstance, even during his own struggle with his illness.

Though he traveled extensively when he owned his small business, Tommy never missed any of his sons’ sporting events.  As a former teacher and coach himself, Tommy loved supporting his sons’ coaches and teams and sharing his gift of cooking with them.

Tommy found great joy in boiling huge pots of peanuts simply to give away.  He “inherited” his talent for cooking from his mother, and he took great pleasure in sharing his skills and cooking together with his sons and nephews.   When given the choice, his granddaughters always requested his special version of spaghetti and, of course, he never said no to them.  Tommy had a very special bond with his granddaughters Lilly and Ava, who would rush to be the one to sit by “Papa.”

From the simple days of cooking and playing Trivial Pursuit with dear friends to the Sunday afternoon feasts with extended family, Tommy cherished times with family and friends.  He especially enjoyed family times at the beach. His one “hobby” was watching his Gamecocks.

Tommy is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Judy Johnson Gowan; sons, Michael T. Gowan of West Columbia, Jonathan E. Gowan of West Columbia; beloved granddaughters, Lilly Gowan and Ava Gowan; sister, Anita Moore (Bill) of Union, SC; brother-in-law, Ron Johnson (Debbie) of Lexington. Tommy is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Tommy was predeceased by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Northside Christian Academy, 4347 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC  29072.