In the words of Scotty Williams, in the July 30, 2003 "Our Community" section of The Gridley Herald, "It's hard to measure the full impact long time Gridley resident John B. Cowan has had on this community and all of Butte County."
Word of his death on Wednesday, made one reflect on all the wonderful things he accomplished in his 92 years.
When you stop to think of the many fans John had, whether it be through Gray Lodge, Butte College, his many friends and admirers in Gridley or friends from his Chico State days, John was a man who was loved by everyone.
He definitely left his mark on Gray Lodge as he was instrumental in building it into one of the best wildlife refuges in the state. He was offered the job of manager of Gray Lodge State Waterfowl Refuge in 1948.
Gray Lodge expanded and thrived under John's management. The refuge ballooned from 2,540 acres, when John first arrived, to 8,400 when he retired in 1980.
He organized research stations at the refuge. Most of the research was on waterfowl, including a major waterfowl banding program.
From 1948 to 1959, the Refuge was enlarged from 2,540 acres to 6,700 acres. During this period, the name was changed from Gray Lodge State Waterfowl Refuge to the Gray Lodge Waterfowl Management Area.
In 1953, the refuge was opened to public hunting for the first time since the wildlife area had been established in 1931.
John's management of Gray Lodge helped make the refuge one of the most visited places in Butte County.
His beautiful book, "A Jewel in the Pacific Flyway," contains hundreds of his own great photographs of wildlife.
While working to make Gray Lodge an outstanding wildlife area, John found time to be an instrumental part in the establishment of the county's first community college.
His love for Butte College was evident, especially to fellow Rotary members, as he stood up weekly to give the latest score of the Roadrunners football game. Members would chide him to also announce the name of the gymnasium, aptly named in his honor, the Cowan Sports Complex, but vain as he was, he would giggle and refuse.
He never lacked for encouragement for others, always telling them they are doing a good job, always positive.
Showing his love for Rotary also, he would regularly announce himself the 'best looking Rotarian', getting lots of laughs each time he did this.
He was instrumental in choosing the current college site, located in the rocky hills between Chico and Oroville, east of Durham.
We will miss so many things about John, but particularly we will miss his smile and his kind words.
Memorial Services are set for Sunday, October 26 at Veterans Memorial Hall at 3 p.m.
