Eugene John Dowd Jr. (Chuck) of Bryn Mawr, and most recently Kennebunk, passed away peacefully on Aug. 29, 2022, after a courageous battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. At his passing, he was surrounded by his family and long-time companion, Mary Daggett. Chuck was predeceased by his wife Sue, parents Eugene and Iva (nee Cole), and sister Betty. Loving Father of William (Cindie), Christopher, and Kimberly (Michael) Lutschaunig. Devoted Grandpop to Carly, Will, Allison, Riley, Nicole, and Emily. He is the brother of Mary Ann Kusner, Joan Paprzycki (Stan), Don Dowd (Debbie) Susie Ettingoff (Stu), and Cathy Broderick (Paul). He is survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Chuck was our anchor, and his strength and grace throughout his life, will always be part of who we are. Chuck was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, 1942, and was the second oldest of seven children. He attended Saint Matthias Parish School, Monsignor Bonner High School, and Saint Joseph’s University, where he earned a B.S. in business administration with a major in accounting. He served active duty in the Army for six months, then 5½ years in the Army Reserves in the 157th Infantry Brigade as a staff sergeant.
Chuck worked in the pharmaceuticals industry his entire 43-year career. He joined Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 1960, then Rorer International in 1973, where he remained with this company and its successor companies for the next 30 years. Rorer was merged into Rhone Poulenc-Rorer in 1990 then Aventis Pharmaceuticals in 2000. He was director of U.S. Financial Services when he retired in June 2003.
After retirement, Chuck built a new “family get-together home” in Kennebunk, where he spent his summers with his mother’s family. He loved nothing more than enjoying time with his children and grandchildren, and inviting family and friends over for games, dinners, parties, watching movies and sports. The family home would come alive in the summer, as everyone would enjoy going to the beach, golfing, and having lobster dinners out on the deck.
You could often find him out on his Kubota tractor meticulously cutting his lawn. He was an avid Philadelphia sports fan. He loved going to the games and watching them play. He also enjoyed cheering for Penn State and Notre Dame football, and the Big 5 basketball teams. His annual golf trips with his good friends, also known as the “AJ’s,” and heading in the fall to his hunting camp in upstate Maine with his friends and family, were some of his favorite memories. His hobbies included civil war history, genealogy, playing basketball and golf, bear hunting, snowmobiling, fishing and reading.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, at Saint John Neumann Church at 380 Highland Lane, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. The family will receive friends from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. with Mass to immediately follow. Burial will be at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery at 1600 South Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064.
Funeral Mass will be live-streamed via St. John Neumann Parish link at: https://sjnparish.org/celebrate/livestream/ beginning at 11 a.m.
To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Chuck’s Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk.
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