LINDA LEE COWAN's Obituary
LINDA LEE COWAN, 79 of Ashburn, Virginia passed on Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Born on Tuesday, November 30, 1943 in Fort Morgan, Colorado; daughter of the late Harold and Elizabeth Gettman and sister to Gloria Jean, Harold, Randy, David and Paula. She was recently and unexpectedly preceded in death by her eldest son Mark and has three surviving children, Michelle, Benjamin and Matthew - as well as 7 grandchildren.
The wife of VADM Michael Lynn Cowan for over 60 years, Linda served her country as a Navy officers' spouse for 33 years, for which service she was awarded the Navy Outstanding Civilian Award by the Chief of Naval Operations in 2004.
She excelled in the difficult and demanding role of a military spouse – always with a smile and seemingly endless patience - orchestrating the household raising 4 children, accomplishing multiple (over 20) household moves and managing family finances while her husband was frequently deployed elsewhere. She was famous for her always pleasant and patient demeanor coupled with a steely resolve to accomplish any task at hand.
Linda was an avid reader, SuDoKu maven, and determined jigsaw puzzle solver. She was happiest when she was at home surrounded by her family, especially her grandchildren. Her beef stroganoff can never be duplicated.
Her smile would light up an entire room. Her memory will be cherished, and she will be missed by all who knew her.
A memorial service to celebrate Linda's life will begin at 4:00 PM on Friday, June 2, 2023, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel located at 158 Catoctin Circle, SE Leesburg, Virginia 20175. Refreshments will follow.
Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Mark J. Cowan Annual Memorial Lectureship at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore.
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