FORMERLY OF COLUMBUS
Fredric (Jack) Rowan, formerly of Columbus, Indiana, passed away peacefully in his sleep in Traverse City, Michigan on Sunday, February 20, 2022, following a brief illness.
Born February 1, 1937 in Hinton, West Virginia, Jack graduated from Shaw High School in Cleveland, Ohio and became a standout football, track and basketball player at the College of Wooster where he obtained a BS in physical education. Jack’s love of sports led him to pursue a career in coaching football, with coaching stops in Willard, Ohio; Marshall and Petoskey, Michigan; and Cleveland, Ohio.
Jack eventually moved into the business world, with a career in sales, marketing and business development with Cummins, Control Data and Great American. During his professional career, Jack obtained his Executive MBA from Harvard.
Jack never lost his passion for coaching and served as a volunteer football coach at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Indiana from 1975 to 1980, at Rosemount High School in Rosemount, Minnesota from 1981 to 1983 and Upperman High School in Baxter, Tennessee. Following his retirement from the business world, Jack became the athletic director and head football coach at Inland Lakes High School in Indian River, Michigan where he was instrumental in raising funds to build a new athletic facility. He later served as the operations director for the Traverse City Wolves football team in Traverse City, Michigan and was actively involved in the Power Plus sports mouthguard business.
Jack was preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Powell and brother Forest English. He married Judy Scott on June 16, 2018; she survives.
A consummate storyteller with a gregarious sense of humor, Jack is also survived by his daughters Lori Rowan of Columbus Indiana, Vicki (Steve) Zeller of Louisville, Kentucky, and Kati (Keith) Malone of Rosemount, Minnesota and by grandchildren Nick Roberts, Cary (Daniel) Dickerson, Brad (Beth) Zeller and Emma Hoagland.
A private family service is planned. Memorials can be made to Foundation for Youth of Bartholomew County, Columbus, IN or The Downtown Family YMCA of Louisville, KY.
