John Benjamin BORWEY

BORWEY, ROBINSON, BLISS, VAN LEEUWEN, BRACKEN, BORWEY-BRACKEN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/22/2015 at 13:21:43

June 21, 1927 -- April 14, 2015

John B. Borwey, 87, of Urbandale, IA formerly of Fort Dodge, passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, at the VA Medical Center in Des Moines. Memorial service will be 10:00 AM Saturday, April 18, 2015 at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Fort Dodge. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Fort Dodge with full military honors conducted by the VFW Post #1856 and the United States Coast Guard. The visitation will be held from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Friday, April 17th at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Fort Dodge. The Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Fort Dodge are in charge of arrangements.

John Benjamin Borwey was born June 21, 1927, the second of three sons to Sivert Benjamin and Lillian (Robinson) Borwey, in Eagle Grove, IA. After graduating from high school, he enlisted with the Merchant Marines based in Seattle, Washington. Their missions included transporting U.S. officers' families from remote locations and sweeping for and detonating underwater mines. During his service in 1947, he married Charlotte Lorraine Bliss, his high school sweetheart. They returned to Fort Dodge to establish themselves and create a family including four sons and a daughter.

John worked for various companies in the area including US Gypsum, Pan-O-Gold Bakery, Iowa Sheet Metal, Brownies' Appliance, eventually opening his own business John Borwey's The Appliance Center and Air Conditioning Associates. Along the way he studied with Iowa State University extension at Iowa Central Community College. He also taught courses in his field of refrigeration/air conditioning as well as certification courses. He was a member of Refrigeration Service Engineers Society for many years serving one year as President of the North Central Iowa organization.

John was a devoted family man, faithful Christian and member of the local Masonic lodge, he was also an avid singer. He was a member of the Fort Dodge Civic Glee Club for many years and also performed with the local Comedia Musica organization both locally and a week each of two years in Colorado. He performed both as a member of the Epworth United Methodist church choir, as song leader and soloist/duetist as well as being ordained as a Certified Lay Minister in the Methodist Church substituting for the pastor as needed. He served many years in the leadership of the church organization including working hand in hand with the General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church. John and Charlotte frequently traveled to California to visit their children and grandchildren as well as their sister-in-law and nieces. Over the years, their travels extended within and beyond the shores to many of the US states, the Caribbean and Europe. He also dabbled in photography.

John lost his beloved wife of 54 years, Charlotte, in 2001 to cancer. He is preceded in death by his parents, his infant brother, George Robinson Borwey in 1922, his younger brother, Thomas Frederick Borwey, in 1981, and his 16 year old son, Stephen Thomas Borwey in 1966. John is survived by his sons, John B. Borwey Jr., Santa Barbara, California, Alan M. Borwey, O'Fallon, Illinois, James L. (Katie) Borwey, Urbandale, Iowa and daughter, Linda M. Borwey (Sjef van Leeuwen), Noordwijk, Netherlands, his sister-in-law, Jean (Bill) Borwey-Bracken, Lancaster, California, three nieces, six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two step-greatgrandchildren.

http://www.gundersonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/John-Borwey/ #!/Obituary

Des Moines Register --- Des Moines, Iowa
April 16, 2015