Dan Cowell
GLADSTONE — Born in Escanaba, Michigan to Wilbur and Lydia Cowell of Gladstone, Michigan. The family home was on the shores of Lake Michigan. Dan grew up enjoying the family pastimes of hunting, fishing, boating and skiing.
He enlisted in the USAF in 1956. His first deployment took him to Germany, where he met and married his wife of 65 years, Ute Block Cowell. His military career spanned 21 years and he achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. He had two remote deployments, including a remote radio relay base in Alaska, and a deployment during Vietnam in Thailand.
Continuing his career in telecommunications, Dan began a second career with Nortel, where he became a top executive leading many projects implementing state of the art telecommunications and networking for many top companies.
Once retiring a second time, Dan turned his innovative ideas and networking skills to community service, volunteering for many years at the Arlington Convention Center. In the past, he had served as President of the Arlington SW Kiwanis. Among many other things, he was a K Kids sponsor for 17 years of Rankin, an elementary school in Arlington where his networking skills again proved valuable in acquiring rewards for their PBIS store which promoted student achievement and enrichment opportunities.
Dan loved the game of golf and served as president for the senior league ASMGA, and organized many of the golf trips the league enjoyed each year. When he wasn’t on the golf course, he loved fishing and often organized fishing trips with family and friends.
A family man first, Dan and his wife, Ute, raised three children, and did not waste any opportunity to explore any county or state he was in with all three in tow. There was always a weekend trip to some place of interest, from Bavaria to the Grand Canyon. Any transfer of duty station would result in a family road trip to the new destination, exploring the countryside and catching up with old friends in states along the way. Dan always found a way to take our family back to the land of his roots in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our family enjoyed deep bonds with each other and the beauty of the area.
Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbur and Lydia Cowell, and his sister Marianne Cowell Poe. He is survived by his wife, Ute Block Cowell, three children, Cora Cowell Goodwin, Tina Cowell, and Dean Cowell, and granddaughter Lauren Goodwin, siblings Richard Cowell and Dennis Cowell, eight nieces and nephews, and many great nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life for Mr. Cowell will be held on Tuesday, November 12 at 11 a.m. at Moore Funeral Home, 1219 N. Davis Drive Arlington, TX 76012. Family will have an hour visitation following the service beginning at 12 p.m. until the escort to DFW National Cemetery begins at 1 p.m. Graveside with Military Honors will be held at DFW National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway Dallas, TX 75211 at 2 PM.
The staff at Moore Funeral Home encourages family and friends to express their fond memories, expressions of sympathy and additional condolences to the family of Daniel Robert Cowell, by visiting www.moore-funeralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wings of Hope; https://www.wingsofhopeequitherapy.org/ or The Kiwanis Club Arlington SW, PO Box 122500 Arlington, TX 76013 or a charity of your choice. If you or someone you know wish to send a floral condolence to the Cowell family in honor of the late Daniel Robert Cowell you may choose to do so by calling In Bloom Flowers and Gifts at (972)-256-6637