William & Maureen Rowland

William D. Rowland 82, passed away on January 12, 2021. He is survived by his brother, James Rowland; his three daughters, Katie Glennon and her husband, Tom; Susan Krukowski and her husband, Zig; and Megan Rowland; and four grandchildren, Ryan, Michael, Zoe and Grace. He is preceded in death by his parents Erwin and Imelda Rowland and his wife, Maureen. As a Georgetown graduate Bill completed Officer Candidate School and served as an intelligence officer during the Vietnam war. He was a loving husband and father, a sincere patriot, an avid historian and a perpetual cheerleader for the underdog. Always the gentleman, Bill was quick with a smile and easily offered a kind word. He will truly be missed. Joint services will be held for Bill and Maureen on February 4, in Raleigh, NC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Transitions LifeCare; 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Memories of My Father
– from his daughter Katie

I look at my father and I see his wide smiling face with squinting twinkling eyes and head thrown back laughing at or
telling a joke.
I see the glint in his eyes when he knew someone baked chocolate chip cookies,
And I see the pride in his eyes when hearing about his children or grandchildren.
I hear his voice and remember the words of advice or the quotes he enjoyed to share from authors or statesmen or
retelling stories from history of events and people.
-Telling the story of being frustrated as a child in not having enough time to read all the books written and catch up on
history since it was always being made.
-His memories of his father or his own family history.
And singing everything from Irish ballads to hokey country songs.
I look at his grandsons and I see his solid shoulders and remember receiving big warm hugs in his arms and finding
comfort in that welcoming lap late at night as a teenager during times of inner confusion.
I look at his hands and remember his woodworking projects – a desk for me and a swing set for his grandchildren and
the enjoyment I found in the smell of sawdust and quiet companionship working alongside him and building my own
project.
And I always see his hands holding a book and the sound of his voice sharing his interest in whatever he was reading or
standing next to him in the kitchen and watching his hands as he showed me how to make his favorite Mexican foods.
And I will always remember the light and love in his face whenever he saw my mom during her many visits to spend time
with him, even if it was to just sit and hold hands.
My mom gave my dad a plaque one year for Father’s Day that he kept for many years – a poem by Robert Louis
Stevenson and it rings true very much for my dad –
“That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and women and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who leaves the world better than he found it, who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;
who looked for the best in others, and the gave the best he had.”
Dad, you gave the best you had. I know you were welcomed into the wide open arms of mom and you too heard the
words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
It’s time for you to rest now joined together forever with mom. We love you very much and look forward to being
together once again.

ROWLAND, Maureen formerly of Palm Harbor, passed away peacefully on October 17, 2020 after a battle with Cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Thomas Burke and her sister-in-law, Joan Burke. She leaves behind her husband, William of more than 50 years; her daughters, Katie Glennon and her husband, Tom; Susan Krukowski and her husband Zig; and her daughter Megan Rowland. She adored her four grandchildren, Ryan, Michael, Zoe, and Grace. She also leaves behind her brother, Thomas Burke; and nieces and nephew, and cousins. Maureen graduated from D’Youville College as a nurse and compassionately cared for her patients mostly in nursing homes, home health, and hospice. She took in strangers and strays and made them her own. She will be greatly missed. Joint services will be held for Bill and Maureen on February 4, in Raleigh, NC.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Transitions LifeCare; 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Memories of My Mother
– from her daughter Katie
In my mother’s eyes, I see the reflection of memories of her compassion and care for others –
- the lonely neighbor for whom we made and delivered Christmas gifts as young children or the
invitation to a meal.
- the neighborhood children invited to make Christmas gifts to give to their mothers.
- Or, the lonely nursing home patients whose hands she held or brought us as children to visit to
brighten their days.
In my mother’s hands, I remember the caring and gentle touch as she felt feverish foreheads or held her
grandchildren.
- Or held her husband’s hand to sooth his confusion.
- the meals made with love
- and many animals she cared for and made members of our family.
In my mother’s shoulders, I see the strength as she moved her family to new places and made each new
unfamiliar house a comforting and familiar home.
- And with courage and grace, she received the news of her diagnosis and lived each subsequent day
with firm faith and the assurance of God’s love.
In my mother’s face, I see strength and gentleness.
- I see a life of unconditional love and sacrifice, of good times and of bad, of lessons learned and wisdom
gained.
And a face on which God has now looked upon and said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Come and rest now in everlasting peace and the love of Jesus.”
Rest in peace, Mom. We love you very much and we look forward to being with you again.