We are sad to announce the passing of our well loved Husband, Father and Grandad. John passed away peacefully in his sleep, with family close at the Prince of Wales Retirement Residence on June 26th, 2024.
John leaves to mourn Marie, his wife of 56 years and his children, Heather (Paul) Snelson and Matthew (Jacqueline) Cowan. He also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren Jack and Mackenzie Cowan and Hannah Snelson. John is also survived by his sister Kath in Crieff, Scotland and his nieces and nephews.
John was born in Stockport, England to Harold and Marjorie Cowan. He graduated from Manchester University with a Medical degree, MBChB in 1965. As a student, John loved to visit his uncle Derek in Picton, Ontario and so after a year of rotating internships, he immigrated to Canada to the Anesthesia program at the Kingston General Hospital in 1966. It was here where he met Marie, a Registered Nurse in the Operating Room and they married in 1968. John continued his Anesthesia education at Yale New Haven Hospital and Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, where he received his FRCP(C).
John and Marie moved to Ottawa in January 1972, where John became a member of the Anesthesia department at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. He was enthusiastic about his speciality and was involved in many committees, becoming site chief of the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus. He was Chair of the Tariff Committee of the Anaesthesia section of the Ontario Medical Association and President of the Canadian Anesthesiologists Society. He was also the Treasurer of the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Montreal in 2000. John was awarded the Gold Medal and the Emeritus Membership from the CAS.
John had many interests and could repair, build or fix anything inside or outside the house. He also enjoyed cooking, golfing, curling and fishing with his friends. When John became a grandad however, a whole new area of love opened up for him, but he still kept in touch with his friends and family in England and Scotland and frequently visited overseas.
In 2017, John had a minor stroke which resulted in a diagnosis of micro cognitive impairment, leading to mild and medium vascular dementia. In June 2024, he moved to the Prince of Wales Retirement Residence, where he received thoughtful, understanding and dedicated care - We thank you most sincerely. John will be dearly missed.
A donation in John's name to the Ottawa Mission would be greatly appreciated, and may be made by scrolling to the bottom of this page and using the "Charity Donations" button.
Please take a moment to sign this guestbook (https://www.arbormemorial.ca/en/capital/obituaries/dr-john-matthew-cowan/125889.html#Guestbook) and share a memory or two of this fine man.