Roll Call Tribute
Thomas "Tom" Cowen '75 July 20, 2018 9:53 AM updated: July 20, 2018 9:54 AM
Published in (San Antonio) Express-News on July 20, 2018
Thomas Anthony Cowen(1951 - 2018)
1951 - 2018
Thomas Cowen passed away at 66 years old, on July 4, 2018 in Houston, Texas, after battling cancer for 18 months, surrounded by loving family members. Born in 1951, in Brownsville, Texas, to Virginia Lee Bryant Cowen, and Louis Raphael Cowen, who both preceded him in death, he was the sixth child of eleven remarkable men and women.
Tom understood struggle because he grew up poor. He lost his father to cancer at just twelve years of age. Not long after, his family home burned down, but not before he bravely rescued several of his siblings from the flames. He spent the rest of his teenage years helping his mother pay bills and buy food by shining shoes, selling newspapers, and bagging groceries.
Always one to place a high value on education, Tom worked his way through college, earning a B.A. in History with a minor in Political Science from Texas A&M. He later obtained an MBA from Pan American University, and a JD from the University of Houston in 1987, where he was recognized with admission to The Order of the Barons for his outstanding performance.
Tom worked in a variety of vocations throughout his academic career, including on a production line in an aluminum window frame factory, a teaching assistant at Texas A&M, a customs broker in Hidalgo, and as a partner in Cowen Brothers Motor Co. in Brownsville.
As a Board Certified Lawyer in Personal Injury Law, with an AV rating from Martindale Hubble, Tom's career as an attorney spanned across three decades, during which he was elected as a Fellow by the Texas Bar Foundation. He practiced law with several firms and corporations, including Thornton & Summers, The Law Office of Sean Martinez, and Chaves, Gonzales, and Hoblit LLP, where
he obtained the status of full partner. Tom had an incredible passion for working on a wide array of interesting cases, and participated in arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Tom had also served on the City Council of Hollywood Park. During Senator Eddie Lucio Jr's Governor for the Day ceremony, he had the honor of being appointed Attorney General.
As a lifelong student of history from a family of significant Texas heritage, Tom donated original documents from his ancestors Col. John S. Ford of the Texas Rangers, and Brownsville founding father, William Neale to the UT library start the Cowen Collection. Tom was a strong believer in mentorship and left a personal legacy of helping his family members and countless young attorneys navigate the travails of life, never hesitating to give frank but heartfelt advice to anyone who asked.
Tom was married to Joanie Hasse in 1983. They were blessed with two children, Andrew Thomas Cowen, a high school teacher in China and Lauren Elizabeth Cowen of Austin, TX, who works in the tech industry. Tom is also survived by nine brothers and sisters, Virginia Cowen, Ralph Cowen (Susan), Paul Cowen (Tami), Philip Cowen (Fran), Margaret Wise (John), Teresa Wildi (Martin), Elizabeth Cowen, David Cowen (Susan) and Catherine Olson (Danel) and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother John Cowen, who passed away in April of this year.
Truly exemplifying "still waters run deep," Thomas will be remembered for his gentle and patient demeanor, his wellspring of knowledge, his unyielding grit, and his devotion to family. He will not be an easy man to forget. Even more, he will be missed.
Services will be held in San Antonio as follows:
Rosary and visitation July 26 @ 7:00pm - University of the Incarnate Word Chapel
4301 Broadway - Chapel located in Administration Building Burr Rd/Broadway
Funeral Mass July 27 @ 10:00am - San Fernando Cathedral 115 Main Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to MD Anderson https://goo.gl/u6VLs4 to support cancer research.
Thomas Anthony Cowen(1951 - 2018)
1951 - 2018
Thomas Cowen passed away at 66 years old, on July 4, 2018 in Houston, Texas, after battling cancer for 18 months, surrounded by loving family members. Born in 1951, in Brownsville, Texas, to Virginia Lee Bryant Cowen, and Louis Raphael Cowen, who both preceded him in death, he was the sixth child of eleven remarkable men and women.
Tom understood struggle because he grew up poor. He lost his father to cancer at just twelve years of age. Not long after, his family home burned down, but not before he bravely rescued several of his siblings from the flames. He spent the rest of his teenage years helping his mother pay bills and buy food by shining shoes, selling newspapers, and bagging groceries.
Always one to place a high value on education, Tom worked his way through college, earning a B.A. in History with a minor in Political Science from Texas A&M. He later obtained an MBA from Pan American University, and a JD from the University of Houston in 1987, where he was recognized with admission to The Order of the Barons for his outstanding performance.
Tom worked in a variety of vocations throughout his academic career, including on a production line in an aluminum window frame factory, a teaching assistant at Texas A&M, a customs broker in Hidalgo, and as a partner in Cowen Brothers Motor Co. in Brownsville.
As a Board Certified Lawyer in Personal Injury Law, with an AV rating from Martindale Hubble, Tom's career as an attorney spanned across three decades, during which he was elected as a Fellow by the Texas Bar Foundation. He practiced law with several firms and corporations, including Thornton & Summers, The Law Office of Sean Martinez, and Chaves, Gonzales, and Hoblit LLP, where
he obtained the status of full partner. Tom had an incredible passion for working on a wide array of interesting cases, and participated in arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Tom had also served on the City Council of Hollywood Park. During Senator Eddie Lucio Jr's Governor for the Day ceremony, he had the honor of being appointed Attorney General.
As a lifelong student of history from a family of significant Texas heritage, Tom donated original documents from his ancestors Col. John S. Ford of the Texas Rangers, and Brownsville founding father, William Neale to the UT library start the Cowen Collection. Tom was a strong believer in mentorship and left a personal legacy of helping his family members and countless young attorneys navigate the travails of life, never hesitating to give frank but heartfelt advice to anyone who asked.
Tom was married to Joanie Hasse in 1983. They were blessed with two children, Andrew Thomas Cowen, a high school teacher in China and Lauren Elizabeth Cowen of Austin, TX, who works in the tech industry. Tom is also survived by nine brothers and sisters, Virginia Cowen, Ralph Cowen (Susan), Paul Cowen (Tami), Philip Cowen (Fran), Margaret Wise (John), Teresa Wildi (Martin), Elizabeth Cowen, David Cowen (Susan) and Catherine Olson (Danel) and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother John Cowen, who passed away in April of this year.
Truly exemplifying "still waters run deep," Thomas will be remembered for his gentle and patient demeanor, his wellspring of knowledge, his unyielding grit, and his devotion to family. He will not be an easy man to forget. Even more, he will be missed.
Services will be held in San Antonio as follows:
Rosary and visitation July 26 @ 7:00pm - University of the Incarnate Word Chapel
4301 Broadway - Chapel located in Administration Building Burr Rd/Broadway
Funeral Mass July 27 @ 10:00am - San Fernando Cathedral 115 Main Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to MD Anderson https://goo.gl/u6VLs4 to support cancer research.
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