Gordon Neil Rowe

Gordon Neil Rowe, or Gordy as most knew him, passed away on October 26, 2024 just shy of his Halloween 85th birthday from a rare brain cancer, surrounded by family. They will hold a memorial for him on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at Immanuel United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Gordy was one of a kind. He had an adventurous and generous spirit, was quick with stories and humor, and always was both curious and open-minded. He thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and with his outgoing personality made many lifelong friends, often in seemingly random places across the country. Gordy also liked solving problems and engaging with interesting challenges. Rarely did he find a trailer with no use, a wall that couldn’t be moved, or a garage that didn’t need to be relocated across town.

Gordy was born on October 31, 1939 in Knoxville, Iowa to Minnie and Neil Rowe. He spent his formative years in Knoxville where he attended grade school and high school. He also got his start working on cars while painting vehicles in Claire Rankin’s auto shop.

Gordy went on to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa, then Iowa Teachers College. While attending UNI he thoroughly enjoyed his time as a member of Alpha Chi Epsilon meeting friends he would keep for the rest of his life.

More importantly, he met Sharon, soon to be his wife of over 50 years, a kindred soul who enjoyed adventure and travel as much as he did.

Soon after marrying in 1964, Sharon and Gordon ventured off to Southern California where they enjoyed nine years of good weather, very good friends, and lots of adventures. They worked as teachers to start out, but then Gordy had a chance to work for several budding fast food chains in their real estate division. Somewhere amongst his assets is a map of all of the Taco Bells on the west coast in the 60’s, most of which he scouted and situated himself. They welcomed their oldest, Julie, during this time.

Looking for more adventure, they joined the Peace Corps in the early 70’s and served in Tunisia, North Africa. Gordy taught auto mechanics in French, a language he enjoyed using throughout his life even if his accent was a bit suspect. While there they used the opportunity to drive a Citroen 2cv across North Africa and Southern Europe.

After the Peace Corps, Gordy and Sharon moved back to Iowa, where they spent the rest of their lives together. Their son Matt arrived in 1977 and the family of four settled into the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines.

Gordy spent much of his career in education, starting as a teacher and later setting up adult education classes for Des Moines Area Community College for 18 years.

Gordy also enjoyed a number of professional pursuits, serving on the board and as president for the Association for Training and Development, and participating in Toastmasters for many years. He crafted a number of humorous speeches for the latter, including several that he presented at regional conferences that his friends and family remember fondly. It is unlikely that anyone in the audience or the many other people who witnessed it will ever forget his backless suit and questionable choice of underwear for his infamous “Pierre” speech. (If you know, you know.)

During their time in Des Moines, he and Sharon enjoyed the many friends they made through various channels in Des Moines: Friendship Force, their church Immanuel United Methodist, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, various coffee groups around Des Moines, and other folks met through Gordon’s gregarious personality.

Due to their international interests, Gordy and Sharon hosted several exchange students over the years, including Erik Hageleit, who became their German son. The family cherished visits with Erik in the U.S. and abroad, and he was among the family members by Gordy’s side when he passed.

Gordon and Sharon also enjoyed Iowa’s first in the nation caucus status, including attending various rallies and media events. Gordy’s resulting political pin collection (featured on international news) is something to behold, much of which now resides with friends and family.

Sharon sadly died in 2016, ending an era in Gordon’s life. After Sharon’s passing, Gordon found himself still wanting to travel more and so took up a job delivering RVs, cement trucks, and other vehicles that allowed him to visit most of the states over five years. During that time he got to check in with many friends and family, and adventure through a good portion of the country.

Gordy’s time delivering RVs helped satisfy his wanderlust and his lifelong love affair with wheeled vehicles. Cars, trailers, motor scooters, and buses of all vintages and conditions always grabbed his attention. He could spot a car on the road or in a movie and tell you all about when and where he first encountered the vehicle or who he knew that owned one in the past.

His love of cars was evidenced in his restoring a Model-T he found in a chicken barn at age 14 and collecting several vintage cars over the years. His son has taken over stewardship of the Model-T and the 1953 MG Gordy acquired in California in 1965. Hopefully both will be restored to the glory Gordy imagined they were capable of.

Among his other pursuits, Gordy most enjoyed fatherhood and was supportive, instructive, loving, and open-minded, attributes that are deeply appreciated by his children, children-in-law, and grandchildren

In his final years, Gordy decided to join his kids in Tucson AZ, buying a home in the area to fix up with them. They all bonded over Gordy’s version of fixing something up, which meant finding “deals” and never really finishing the project, a constant theme that his children remember with a mix of frustration and fondness.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Sharon, with whom he shared a full and loving life, and with whom he created a family together, all of whom miss them both so much. He is also preceded in death by his parents, Minnie and Neil Rowe, sister Elsie Shoop, brother-in-law Gerald Shoop, brother Richard Rittierodt, and nephew Larry Shoop, as well as Sharon’s parents James and Virginia Maxine Barlow.

Survivors include his his children Julie Fisher-Rowe (Robert) and Matthew Rowe (Liz Baldwin), brother-in-law Glen Barlow (Kathy Elzey), grandchildren Janice Rowitt (Ryan), and Philip and Abigail Fisher, his German son Erik Hageleit (Andreea Dumitru), three nieces and a nephew as well as many cherished grand- and great grand- nieces and nephews.

And his beloved dog and traveling companion, Olive, who joined him on many of his final adventures, and has since joined his children’s families.

He was an adventurous, funny, generous, and kind soul who will be missed by many, all of whom have many Gordy stories to share. Gordon and Sharon’s life together of love, adventure, generosity, and curiosity continues to inspire their children and grandchildren.

We love you so much Dad!