75, Irvine, California
July 29 1941 - October 28, 2016
It is with great sadness that we say good bye to this gentle and beautiful man.Steve was born in Seattle, Washington, the first son of Nathan Heath McDowell and Barbara Hall McDowell and graduated Burbank High School and the University of Redlands. He enlisted and completed USMC training in 1963 at Parris Island, South Carolina and went on to attend United States Marine Corp Officer Candidate school at Quantico Virginia graduating first in his battalion and earning the designation of Naval Aviator. In 1967, he trained as and was designated Marine Combat Fighter/Attack Pilot (Supersonic F4-B Aircraft). Steve was a certified FAA Flight Instructor, helicopter qualified, and flew over 110 combat missions in Viet Nam as a Combat Section Leader.
After his war experience, Steve immersed himself in the Southern California Real Estate Market establishing his own real estate company in Orange County. He later closed down his company to work in real estate investments nationwide with TCW Realty Advisors of Los Angeles, as well as Coldwell Banker, KBS and PM Realty Advisors in Orange County.
First and foremost, Steve was a Marine Fighter Pilot. Flying was his greatest love. If he weren't flying, he loved motorcycles, non-fiction and travel. He was an accomplished sailor. Steve was married for 26 years to Ann Nelms McDowell of Scottsdale Arizona, his greatest admirer and best friend. They had one child: a black Cocker Spaniel named Miss Pug.
Steve is survived by Ann; his mother, Barbara McDowell of Old Saybrook, Connecticut; brother, Peter McDowell and family of Rosemont, Pennsylvania; and sister, Bobbie McDowell of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
A small graveside service will be held in the Garden of Valor at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar on Friday November 11th at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Steve's name to support our veterans and first responders who bravely put their lives on the line to protect our lives and liberties.
Steve and I played football together at BHS and were classmates at Redlands. He was a kind and gentle person and also VERY smart. We had a friendly, supportive competition for grades at Redlands, and he always bested me by a bit even though I would study longer. We met up a time or two in the Bay Area in 1965-66 while I was at Berkeley and he was in flight training. Our politics ran in different directions, but on a personal level it did not matter. At least not at the Playboy Club in San Francisco! My first reaction to his passing was anger - anger that I failed to ever tell him how much his friendship meant to me and anger that I failed to keep in touch with him. Now it's just sadness at the passing of such a fine person. I'll never forget your kind, determined intelligence, Steve, and your warm smile. Rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteEric Werner