Robert C. Rowell

LITCHFIELD – World Traveler who lived entire life within 50 miles of Waterville Maine.In 1990, Bob Rowell was on the second cruise ship to ever visit Yemen. The Prince of Yemen greeted the passengers. Over his lifetime, Bob traveled to 63 countries including India, China, New Zealand, and Russia. His favorites were the Black Forest of Germany and Austria, where he traveled with his second wife, Marion. Bob passed on this love of travel to his children, taking them on trips throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Bob died at his daughter, Jody’s second home in Litchfield on May 21, 2020 after a more than 30 year battle with cancer. His death was not due to Covid-19. Bob died surrounded by family. He was 94.Bob Rowell was born on June 18, 1925 in Waterville. As a boy he worked on the family farm in Fairfield Center and at the Rowell’s Cash Market, a small grocery store, on Main Street in Waterville. He was a graduate of Higgins Classical Institute and Colby College class of 1949, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Bob served in the U.S. Navy during both World War II and the Korean War. Employed by Boothby and Bartlett Company for over 40 years, he was Vice President and General Manager and a frequent member of the Aetna Million Dollar Roundtable.Active in Civic Affairs, he volunteered to serve the Waterville community. Bob served as President of the Waterville Red Cross, Waterville Boys’ Club, Kiwanis Club (his sister-in-law, Arline Berry Julia, spoke at his installation), and Waterville Chamber of Commerce. He served as Trustee for Thayer Hospital, Mid Maine Medical Center, Colby College, Hinckley School, and Good Will. He was a Director of the Depositor’s Trust Company, Key Bank, Waterville Area Community Chest, and Waterville-Kennebec Valley Girls’ Club. He was a former councilman and a former alderman for the City of Waterville. He was a member of the Waterville Country Club, Masons, and the Pleasant Street United Methodist Church. In 1958 at the age of 33, Bob was named the area’s Outstanding Young Man of the Year by the Jaycees.At the age of 89, Bob moved from Camden to Granite Hill Estates in Hallowell, where he had many friends. June 2019, at the age of 94, Bob joined five other veteran friends from Granite Hill to fly to Washington D.C. on the Maine Honor Flight. At Granite Hills he inspired his grandchildren by being awarded “Athlete of the Month”. He walked several miles daily. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Pauline Berry Rowell; by his parents, John Enoch and Olive Bristol Rowell; his brothers, Howard, Willard, and Stanley, and his sisters, Eleanor, Ruth, and Margaret. He is survived by his five daughters, Patricia “Tricia” Rowell Webb (John) of Litchfield, Margaret “Meg” Rowell Anderson (Steve) of Millersville Md., Elizabeth Rowell DiPrima (Randi) of Gainsville Ga., Barbara Sue Rowell of Westminster Md., and Joanne “Jody” Louise Dixon (John) of Severna Park, Md.; his 12 grandchildren, Katherine Webb Read, Nathan Webb (Michelle), Laura Webb, Sarah Steinpfad (Micah), Mark Anderson, Matthew DiPrima (Carrie), Heather Vanner (Patrick), Robert DiPrima (Miranda), Jennifer Wirth, David Wirth (Hayden), Jack Dixon and Mike Dixon; six great-grandchildren, Corbin and Logan Vanner, Ethan, Isabel, and Charlotte Steinpfad, Alexandra Webb; his many nieces, nephews and cousins; very close friend, Jacqueline Cowperthwaite, and good friends from when Bob lived in Camden, Serena and Richard Kelley. Due to the Covid Pandemic there will be no visitation or funeral service. There will be a celebration of his life at a later time. Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church Street, Augusta. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com


Share your condolences, kind words and remembrances below. You must be logged into the website to comment. Subscribers, please login. Not a subscriber? Register to comment for free or subscribe to support our work.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.