August 30, 2009  

WATERTOWN, N.Y.  —  Neville A. Dowe, 83, of Harrison Street,  passed away Saturday evening, Aug. 29, at his home under the care of his family and Hospice of Jefferson County.

Calling hours will be held 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at Cummings Funeral Service, Inc., 214 Sterling St., Watertown. The funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Holy Family Church with Msgr. Robert Aucoin officiating. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery.

Donations may be made in his name to Hospice of Jefferson County, 425 Washington St., Holy Family Church, 129 Winthrop St., Sacred Heart Foundation, 668 Thompson St., or Immaculate Heart Schools, 1316 Ives St. Rd., all in Watertown, NY 13601. 

Born Dec. 6, 1925, in Raymondville, the son of Peter J. and Grace E. McNulty Dowe, he graduated from Norfolk High School and from Clarkson College of Technology, now Clarkson University, in June 1950 with a bachelor of business administration degree, majoring in accounting and with a minor in management.

On March 16, 1944 he entered the US Army Air Force as an aviation trainee, serving in the 2133rd Army Air Forces Base Unit. He received the American Theater Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged as a Private First Class on Nov. 9, 1945.

He married Jean A. Doud on Oct. 17, 1953, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Louisville, with Msgr. Wilfred A. Nugent officiating.

He was employed by the NYS Dept. of Labor for four years with the Division of Employment.
In 1954 he joined the Massena Banking and Trust Co., was named auditor in 1955 and treasurer in 1961. When the bank merged with the Watertown National Bank into the National Bank of Northern New York on Sept. 30, 1963, he was named assistant vice president. He was named vice president in 1969, Vice President and Chief Fiscal Officer in 1976, and Senior Vice President and chief fiscal officer in 1979. When the bank merged with Key Bank of Northern NY, N. A. on Nov. 28, 1980, he was named senior vice president and chief fiscal officer until his retirement on March 1, 1988.

While with Massena Banking and Trust Co., he had attended a number of American Institute of Banking (AIB) courses. He assisted William J. Spies in the formulating and organizing the Jeff-Lewis Chapter of the AIB. He taught a number of courses, was a member of the Board of Directors, and was President for 2 years. He was also past president and director of the Jeff-Lewis Banker's Assoc.

Mr. Dowe was a past treasurer of the Assoc. of Crippled Children and Adults, Inc. for 8 years. He was treasurer for the St. Lawrence Co. American Cancer Society for 5 years and secretary and member of the Board of Directors and Legacy Representative for the NYS Division. He was active in Jefferson County United Fund drives. For 7 years he was Commissioner and 2 years Vice Chairman of the Massena Housing Authority.

He was a member of the Watertown Kiwanis Club since 1965, serving as past president, past treasurer, past director, and committee chairman. He was a member of the Elks Lodge #496.
He was a communicant of Holy Family Church, a trustee for 12 years, past member of the finance committee, and was a lay lector for over 25 years. He was also a lay minister of the Eucharist for 35 years and a radio commentator for the 9 AM mass for 30 years.

Mr. Dowe was a member of the Immaculate Heart Central Athletic Assoc. for 38 years, treasurer for 25 years, and member of the Immaculate Heart Central High School Board of Education for 18 years, serving as its president for six years.

He had been a trustee of Mater Dei College for 6 years. He was a member of Bishop McEntegart General Assembly Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, Potsdam, and transferred to Bishop Conroy General Assembly Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, Watertown.

He was a member of the Northern NY Bridge Club and a Silver Life Master.

Besides his wife, Jean, he is survived by four sons and their wives, Kevin A. and Debra, Calcium, Timothy M. and Cathleen, Adams, Peter N. and Linda, Brockport, and Patrick D. and Laurie, Waynesville, Ohio; two daughters and their husbands, Dr. Rosemary D. and Retired Rear Admiral Paul J. Higgins, McLean, Va., and Cynthia D. & Robert VanHoesen, Niskayuna; 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mr. Dowe was predeceased by two brothers, Peter G., Dec. 20, 2000, and Joseph H., Mar. 23, 2000, and two sisters, Eleanor Dowe, Apr. 1920, and Mary D. Murphy, Aug. 2000.

Information provided by Cummings Funeral Service and Newzjunky.com, Watertown