John Albert MacDowell

John Albert MacDowell, beloved father, uncle, grandfather, brother, son, and friend, was born in 1946, the third and youngest child of Albert and Dorothy (nee Maloney) MacDowell. He is preceded in death by his parents and his two older brothers, Thomas and James.

John was born and raised in San Diego, growing up on Esther Street. He attended Andrew Jackson Elementary and Horace Mann Junior High and he graduated from Crawford High School in 1964. He was a sensitive and creative child, and became a talented artist at an early age. He attended art classes at San Diego State long before he was of college age. When John graduated high school he was awarded a scholarship to attend The Art Institute in San Francisco. There he lived with his brother James in the Haight-Ashbury area before both of them moved east, eventually to Sacramento. John worked at a number of jobs, including as a surveyor, a truck driver, and at a bookstore - where he met Ann, who would become his first wife and the mother of his son, Brennan - before beginning a life-long career in woodworking. He did everything from construction to fine-woodworking, much of it self-taught. For many years he built stairs, first with Don Christy and his sons, specializing in designing and crafting custom posts and balusters, and more recently with South Coast Stairs all over Southern California.

John loved books and libraries. He loved reading about new ideas and new ways of doing things, as well as about alternative medicines and health practices. He mostly read non-fiction but also was a fan of especially detective fiction  - Dashiell Hammett was a favorite author.

Though, unlike his two older brothers and his grandson, John did not achieve the rank of Eagle Scout (he was a Life Scout), he lived the Scout Oath, Law, and Motto all his life. He was always doing a good turn and helping other people. He was passionate about doing the right thing, the right way and hated to see an injustice.

John is survived by his son Brennan (Renée) and grandson Miles of Griffin, Georgia; his niece Jill (David) Ryfe and great-nephew Dylan and great-niece Miranda of Austin, Texas; and by his nephew Ian (Irene) MacDowell of Oakland, California. He is also survived by numerous cousins, especially of the Maloney and Benton extended families.

A private memorial will be held at a future date. Please feel free to leave an entry, a memory of John or a word of sympathy, in the guest book below.