Patrick J. McGowan

Patrick J. McGowan, 79, passed away peacefully in the company of his loving family, at home, in Sonoma on October 13, 2014. Born in Martinez, California in 1935, Patrick spent his career in business, human resources, training & development, and telecommunications; most notably working as a pioneer of corporate and industrial television broadcasting.

In retirement, Patrick pursued his passion of wood-working. A self-taught craftsman, he filled not only his home, but also the homes of his children, with beautiful, expertly-crafted furniture; symbols of his ethics for hard work, honesty and self-reliance that will be treasured by generations of McGowans to come.

Patrick is survived by his loving wife, Dianne; his devoted children, Sean, Kevin, Kerri and Timothy; their partners or spouses, Jessica, Miho, Roland and Celeste; and his two brilliant grandchildren, Kai and Ahlia. A devoted family man, they will remember a husband, father, grandfather who lived by principles of respect, fairness and integrity.

A celebration of life and memorial mass will be held Friday, October 24, 2014 at St. Francis Solano Church, Sonoma, CA beginning at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations appreciated to one of the following charities: Napa Valley Hospice, 414 S Jefferson St, Napa, CA 94559; Pets Lifeline, P.O. Box 341, Sonoma, CA 95476; or Project St. Francis, 342 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. Arrangements cared for and inquiries can be made to Duggan’s Mission Chapel at (707) 996-3655.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.