John Craig Mcdowell

John Craig McDowell, the love of my life and best friend was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on December 13, 1955. John was raised in the small town of Amherstburg Ontario by his grandparents, Samuel and Catherine McDowell along with his loving sisters Lynda and Bonnie. Growing up he loved being silly and making his sisters laugh. He enjoyed swimming in the Detroit river and across it from Amherstburg to Boblo Island with his friend when the entire island was an amusement park. Just shy of 14 he ran away to go see Woodstock. As a young man he traveled around Canada and the United States hitch hiking much of the time and working different jobs along the way, ski rescue in Banff Alberta, working at ranches in Texas and Arizona and painting. We met in May of 1983 when John was working at a horse ranch in Elverta California where I boarded my horse. It was love at first site. We enjoyed riding around Gibson Ranch and it was there on our third date we stopped to watch the jousting contest at the renaissance fair when he turned to me and said someday I'm going to make you my wife, and we were married five months later on October 22, 1983. We started our family in 1989 when our beautiful son, Sam, was born.John loved his family. He enjoyed the outdoors, camping with family and friends, dirt bike riding with our son, building go carts for our son and his friends to ride at the neighborhood park, and spending time with our beautiful granddaughter Ally. He loved music, Bob Dylan, Jacob Dylan, BB King, U2, the Stones, the blues and pretty much all rock n roll. He was an avid reader, loved fishing, swimming at the lake and the river, bike riding, and working around the house. And he really loved telling a good joke, or hearing one, and playing practical jokes on his family and friends. He was very proud of his Irish heritage. He was a painter by trade but could do most anything. He was always helping others whether it be family, friend, neighbor or a stranger broke down on the street. John is survived by me, his loving wife, Patricia, our son Samuel, granddaughter Ally, sisters, Lynda and Bonnie McDowell, and Shirley Gilbert, brothers Eddie, William and Henry Gilbert. In laws, Pandora, Al, Mitch, and Cindy Beck, nieces Melanie and Jeanne, nephews Jean Paul and Robert, Aunt Carole and Uncle Craig McDowell and many more nieces, nephews and cousins. Predeceased by his parents, Jack McDowell and Yvonne Gilbert, grandparents Samuel and Catherine McDowell, his favorite Aunt Helen and his three best friends Karl, John and Buddy. John passed away on June 11, 2019 surrounded by his family after a long illness. He was laid to rest at Fair Oaks Cemetery on June 17, 2019 in a private service. He was a hero to our son and the love of my life and best friend and I his. He will be forever loved, forever missed and forever in our hearts. Rest in peace sweetheart. Our family would like to thank the wonderful people at Vitas Hospice who took great care of John for almost three years. You are all so dedicated and caring people, thank you.