Richard Gowell

Richard A. Gowell was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on February 23, 2020. Rich was known by his unconditional love, unending intelligence, witty sense of humor, sweet smile and big hugs. It was a privilege to know him and he will be deeply missed. Rich is survived by his loving family: his devoted wife, Patrushka, children Philip and Vivian, parents Dick and Diane, sister Mindy and brother Ben, along with many relatives and friends. His family meant everything to him, they were always his first priority. He took great joy in his children and he was so proud of them. Philip is showing that he's inherited his dad's intense curiosity about science, technology and inventions. Vivian is artistically talented like her dad. They spent many hours together in his woodworking shop, enjoying each others' creative process. Rich was born on January 16, 1968. He grew up in Portage, MI. Rich demonstrated his abundant skills and talents in many ways over the course of his life. He was an award winning body builder in high school, He earned a philosophy degree from WMU., He was employed by the USPS from 1993 to 2015. His broad spectrum of knowledge included world history, geography, science, mathematics and astronomy. He was a deep thinker, and loved to share his thoughts. He was an inventor of games, including the published Entrapment. He was a talented artist, creating unique sculptures using woods from all over the world. He was a man of formidable gifts and abilities. But his greatest characteristic was his unconditional love and generosity - welcoming family and friends into his home and heart. We invite you to help us celebrate his life this Wednesday, March 4th, 2020. The service will be held at 2 pm at the Kalamazoo First Assembly of God, 5550 Oakland Dr., Portage MI. There will be a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Gryphon Place of Kalamazoo.