ECHL mourns loss of former on-ice official Gowan

The ECHL and its member teams mourn the loss and express their condolences to the family and friends of former ECHL official Sam Gowan, who passed away on December 7 following a lenghty battle with cancer.

Gowan spent the majority of his adult life as an official, and in addition to the ECHL, he also worked games in the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, International Hockey League, Western Professional Hockey League and Central Hockey League.

For the past 12 years, he was a fireman and paramedic in both Richardson and Kerrville, Texas. Gown was also highly active in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, serving as a volunteer, fundraiser and Honored Hero.

Gowan is survived by his wife Jacqueline Katz, his step-sons Truman and Calvin Kohler-Katz, his siblings Jennifer Lohse, her husband HJ and their children Nelson and Jay, Daniel Gowan and his wife Donna, his mother Joanne White, and niece and nephew Marie and Rand Gowan and his wife Megan. He was preceded in death by his father Claude Everett Gowan.

A memorial service and reception will be held at the Unity of Dallas Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made to the following charities: Leukemia & Lymphoma (lls.org), Texas Volunteer Firefighters Relief Fund (tvffrf.com/donate) or Hockey Fights Cancer (nhl.com/community/hockey-fights-cancer).