The Reverend Thomas Richard Rowett

The Reverend Thomas Richard Rowett joined The Church Triumphant on November 23,

2023 at his home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with his surviving wife of 71 years at his side.

Born on March 19, 1932 in Nanticoke, PA, he was the younger son of Flossie Pratt Rowett

and Russell Rowett, a safety superintendent at a local coal mine. As a boy, Tom got into

plenty of mischief, causing his mother no end of worry. But he survived his misadventures

and committed his life to Jesus Christ at a church-operated summer camp near Mill City, PA.

Tom completed his education at Nyack College, located in Nyack, NY, where he met and

married the love of his life, Laura Jeanette Moler Rowett, from Pittsburgh, PA. Tom was

ordained into full-time pastoral ministry by The Christian and Missionary Alliance, of which

he had been a member from his youth. He pastored congregations in several Western

Pennsylvania communities, including Kitanning, Connellsville, Sterrettania and Meridian,

then in Charlottesville, Virginia. In Greensboro, North Carolina, he oversaw the

construction of a new church building in the city’s Pleasant Garden suburb and relocation

of his congregation from their former downtown campus. There, he succeeded in having

Guilford County rename the road on which the new church campus was located to Alliance

Church Road. He returned to Western PA, and served in Aliquippa, then Sharon. His

pastoral career culminated at Chapel Pointe, a retirement and elder care community in

Carlisle, PA, where he was the chaplain. Following his retirement from full-time ministry,

he occasionally served as a supply preacher at area churches whose pastors were absent.

In addition to his preaching skills, he had a strong, Welsh tenor singing voice and often

favored his congregations with vocal music solos or duets with his wife.

When not engaged in pastoral duties, Tom enjoyed working with his hands. In his backyard

shop, he amassed a sizable collection of power and hand tools, along with an endless

assortment of hardware and fasteners. He was equally adept in furniture upholstery, rough

and finish carpentry, electrical and plumbing work, and automotive repair. Everyone who

knew Tom believed he could build or repair anything. That was mostly true, because he

was willing to tackle almost any project, no matter what was required to complete it. Notable

accomplishments include restyling and recovering a Queen Anne armchair, always known

by his family as “the purple chair,” replacement of a two-story, stained-glass church window,

construction of a small pony barn, and restorations of two used travel trailers, which

accommodated his family on cross-country trips to destinations such as Orlando, FL and

Houston, TX.

With the physical limitations of aging, Tom turned his maker-mentality to creating greeting

cards on his computer and sending them to friends, family and acquaintances. He regarded

this pastime as a ministry. Recipients who were encouraged and uplifted by his work would

agree.

As Tom’s life unfolded over the years, he acquired a wide range of interests and hobbies.

Having played football in his youth, he was an avid fan of professional and college football,

especially Penn State’s Nittany Lions. He also enjoyed automobile racing, from amateur

dirt tracks, to NASCAR, to Indianapolis. Some of Tom’s interests were influenced by the

locales where his ministry took him. In Connellsville, a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad town,

he became interested in model railroading. In his later years, he took an interest in

photographing historic church buildings that dot the countryside around Carlisle.

Tom was always a dog-lover, but his loyalty narrowed to collies with the arrival of Caesar,

a tri-color collie puppy who grew up to be a gentle giant. Tom and his family shared life

with several collies over time, and Dakota, a sable-and-white, was the last collie to join

the family. At Chapel Pointe, Dakota became Tom’s canine “pastoral assistant,” lounging

in Tom’s office every weekday, offering affection and comfort through the power of fur to

residents who dropped by the office or during in-room visits. Until his last days, Tom

mourned the loss of Dakota.

Predeceasing Tom were his parents, his older brother, Russell Rowett and his younger

sister, Alice Rowett Pell. Surviving are his older sister, Flossie Rowett Lawson, and her

sons, Thomas Lawson and David Lawson. Also surviving are Tom’s niece, Judith Rowett,

and nephews, Mark Pell and Jeffrey Pell.

Every day, Tom prayed for every member of his family by name, who now survive him,

including his son, Dale Thomas Rowett, his daughter, Cynthia Poe and her

husband, Timothy Poe, and their children and grandchildren: Ryan Poe and his wife,

Ashley Poe, and their sons, Mason and Everett; Sara Markham and her husband,

David Markham, and their children, Mia and Zachary; Justin Poe and his wife, DeAnn Poe,

and their sons, Asher and Isaac; Brandon Poe and his wife, Natalie Poe, and their daughter,

Felicity; Laura Edodoleon and her husband, Ervin Edodoleon.

As we remember Tom Rowett, we conclude with the words of his signature sign-off at the

end of every family telephone conversation: “Love you ... Bye for now.”

*****

On December 8, 2023, a celebration of Tom Rowett’s life will be held at 11:00AM,

preceded by a reception at 10:00AM, at Hoffman Funeral Home, 2020 W. Trindle Rd.,

Carlisle, PA 17013.

Individuals who wish to honor Tom Rowett by making a charitable donation in lieu of

flowers are invited to donate to the following: Carlisle First Church of God, 705 Glendale St., Carlisle, PA 17013, carlislecog.org; Christian & Missionary Alliance Missions, One Alliance Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, secure.cmalliance.org/give/; or Rejoice in the Lord, Pensacola Christian College, P.O. Box 18000, Pensacola, FL 32523 www.rejoicetv.org/donate/