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Obituary for Kenneth Cowan
Kenneth Cowan, 91, passed away December 4, 2017 at his home where he retired with his devoted wife, Allie, in Brandon, Mississippi.
Born October 15, 1926 in Jersey City, New Jersey to the late Dr. and Mrs. Joseph and Rebecca (Herman) Cowan. With younger brother Charles, the family settled in Washington, D.C. in 1937. Cowan matriculated at Duke University at the age of 15 and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from American University where he was active on the swim team and the radio station. In 1945, he enlisted as a Private in the Army, learned Japanese, and was stationed in northern Italy during World War II. Upon return, he began a long career in print and broadcast media while living in Westport, CT and New York, NY. He was married for 17 years to Joanne Taishoff, mother of his 3 eldest children. Mr. Cowan was instrumental in the development of new FM programming at WOR-FM, the first rock’ n’roll station in NY Metro Area. In 1975, he met and married flight attendant, Allie Carol White, of Ethel, MS in Robert Schuller’s modernist high-rise chapel built by Richard Neutra. They had one child in 1980, Kenneth White Cowan, and he continued work in small-to-medium sized radio markets near Phoenix, San Diego, and Ventura, CA. Moving to Ithaca NY in 1986, Mr. Cowan and investors cultivated a station purchased from Cornell University. He coached little league and loved raising his son in the tight-knit community. Upon the sale of Eagle Broadcasting in 2004, Ken and Allie retired to Brandon, MS where he enjoyed volunteering at local hospitals, cruising the reservoir in his boat, playing tennis, and swimming in the pool.
Mr. Cowan was preceded in death by his eldest son, Richard Craig Cowan and brother, Dr. Charles Cowan. Survivors include his wife, Allie Carol White-Cowan; his children: James Clement, Claudia Cowan Blush, and Kenneth White; 5 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at Sebrell Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association at www.apdaparkinson.org
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