Remembering F. James Rowe

This winter has been a terrible one for many reasons.  We have had more than our share of cold weather, snow, and ice.  However, we have seen it seems more than normal people who are passing away.  I know for myself, I have had to deal with several very close friends and my dad dying.  Although we all know it is going to happen, it still is very difficult to acknowledge.  I was driving to a doctor appointment Thursday morning when my sister called me to ask if I knew a guy names James Rowe.  I said  "yes I do, but he is in Arizona".  She said "well there is one Arizona who died suddenly.  I called  his residence and got the answering machine.  I started to leave a message and his wife Carol picked up.  I asked her if this was true and she was so upset.  She said " she was in a state of shock and yes Jim had died suddenly."  She went to say that it looked like a cerebral hemmorage as he went suddenly.    I couldn't believe it.  She told me that "Jim loved me more than anything, how special friend I was."  I told her that I cared about deeply as well and he was a very special friend.

 He and I did many special things together.  The first time I met Jim was when I was chairman of the supervisors of the checklcist (27 years) for Ward 8.  He was there waiting for the results of the city elections to be announced.  His friend Clark Reed was a candidate for City Councilor.  He and Clark lived in Mckenna's Purchase, off Branch Turnpike.    I asked him after he would be interested in serving as a Ballot Inspector for the elections.    He worked full time for the US Postal Service.  He told me "he would be happy to do that."  He also was an officer for the Portsmouth Police Auxiliary Unit.  He and I had many talks about the seacoast.  He knew that my parents had built a summer cottage at Scituate Pond in York, Maine in 1964. 

  He also told me that he would like to help on the annual Concord Christmas Parade.  He volunteered and help me for over 20 years working on the parade.  He would come over to my parents home at 34 Pembroke Road to help decorate the Santa Claus float when the Grange was responsible for decorating it.  Some Friday Nights were very cold, rainy, windy, or just not nice weather to stand outside and place Spruce branches all around the long flatbed trailer, donated by Kevin Swenson of Swenson Granite.  We would then place the big Santa sleigh, nine plywood reindeer next on the trailer and finally wired down each set of reindeer so they wouldn't tip over.  We would then string colorful garland from the sleigh around the reindeer and back to the sleigh. This whole process took about 4 hours, but Jim, Tom Cusano, my parents, and my wife Debbie.    Jim would meet us the next morning at the parade site to help form the parade and then help disband.   

You would find Jim at the Concord Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday after Thanksgiving to help do whatever he could.  That's how he was.  The next city elections, Jim decided to run for Moderator.  He won and served at least two years doing that.  He was great to work with.  He came to visit me one day in early September and I was getting ready to decorate outside my home for Halloween.   

I knew Jim had a purpose to come and see me.  He heard that I was thinking of running for City Council.  The incumbment had resigned in September and no one seemed interested.  Jim asked me if I was definitely running and I said "yes."  I asked "if there was something bothering him?" Jim said "that he was thinking of running for city council but did not want to run against me."  I told him that if he wanted to run for city council to go ahead and file."  I would not run against him.  He had my support.  I would not ruin a friendship such as ours.  Jim and I had a friendship that was over 10 years.  I would not challenge him.  We had a very special friendship.  Jim had joined Pineconia Grange (known as Concord Grange) and was very helpful with our projects and fundraisers.    He served one term and told me that he was not going to run for a second term.  He told me that he felt that he didn't belong.  He said to me "that it seems if you are not a member of the high society or being snobby you didn't fit in.  Jim was a people person and not afraid to speak to everyone.   

Jim was survived by his wife Carol, several children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.    He will be cremated in Mesa and interred in Portsmouth NH at a future time.    I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago after my dad died and we talked for about an hour about his death.  He thought alot of my parents, as they did him.  He told me that their house was for sale and would be moving back to New Hampshire, not Concord, but not far from it.  i was so thrilled and planning for him to come back and help on the parade and rejoin the grange.   

Jim, it is time for you to rest in peace my friend.  Thank you for all you did for me and for the Ward 8 community.  You will be missed so much by all who knew you.  We wonder many times when something like this, why he was so young and had so much to offer.    Obviously, Heaven needed him more.  I hope F. James Rowe, you keep busy up there and know you will make a difference.