Gary Gowen

Gary L. Gowen

Devoted husband, father, grandfather and uncle, Gary Gowen , 73, passed away at the Hospice Care center in Grand Junction on July 26, 2015 after suffering a massive stroke at home.  Always a family man first, Gary was surrounded by friends and family as he passed to the other side.

Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1942 to Otto S. and Audrey L. Gowen, Gary spent his childhood developing an unparalleled work ethic and an unshakable love for family along with his brothers Charles “Chuck” Gowen, Mike Gowen, Patrick Gowen and sisters Joellen Gowen (Henson) and Rita Gowen.  After graduating from Widefield High School in 1960, Gary studied business management and quickly went to work as an entrepreneur and salesman.

In 1963, Gary and his first wife, Janice Sullivan, were blessed by the arrival of their first son Brett Gowen.  His daughter Brenda Gowen (Orth) arrived in 1965 and his youngest son Brad Gowen joined the family in 1968.

Always a people person, Gary quickly found opportunity in the budding computer industry in the 1970’s.  After working for many large corporations in and around Colorado Springs, Gary and his partner Pete Costa struck out to form their own company, Computer Specialists, Inc., in the late 1970’s.

In 1982, Gary met Julie Green, and her two daughters Alicia and Adrianne. After their marriage in 1987, Gary and Julie struck out for a simpler life -- and less traffic -- by moving their family to Montrose, Colorado.  With an eye towards instilling a strong work ethic in his two new young daughters, Gary spotted an old farm home with 8 acres on East Miami Road in Montrose.  Never satisfied with the status quo, Gary always had a project to do around the house.

When Gary retired in 2007, he and Julie moved to their cabin “off the grid” near Buena Vista, Colorado.  Having never met a stranger, Gary quickly developed strong friendships around the Badger Creek Ranch and even joined the Hartsel Fire District as a reserve firefighter.

Anyone who knew Gary understood his intolerance for pretense and his insistence on integrity and hard work.

In addition to his nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Gary is survived by all of his siblings, his wife Julie Gowen of Hartsel, Colorado; his son Brett (Laurie) Gowen of Montrose, CO; his daughter Brenda (Kerry) Orth of Colorado Springs, CO; his daughter Alicia Lamprecht of Montrose, CO and daughter Adrianne (Derek) Wagner of Grand Junction, CO.  Gary was preceded in death by his parents Otto and Audrey Gowen, his son Bradley Gowen and his granddaughter Marah Wagner.

A family celebration of  Gary's life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to HopeWest Hospice at 3090 North 12 ^th Street Grand Junction, CO 81506.