John Arthur Rowe
John Arthur Rowe, 71, a former purchasing agent and supervisor, died of a heart ailment April 10 at his home in Bradenton, Fla., where he had lived since 1994.
Mr. Rowe, a Washington native, attended Eastern High School and graduated from Falls Church High School. He served in the Army from 1954 to 1956 before returning to the Washington region.
He worked for Virginia Electric and Power Co. as a surveyor and for Melpar Corp., an electronics research company in Falls Church. In 1963, he joined Vitro Corp., a defense contractor in Silver Spring. He was purchasing agent for the company, now part of BAE Systems Inc. When he retired in 1994, Mr. Rowe was purchasing agent supervisor.
He lived in Laurel for 33 years before moving to Florida. He was a member of the American Legion and was a volunteer referee at Laurel Boys and Girls Club sports events.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Carol Rowe of Bradenton; three children, Michael Rowe of Laurel, Kathryn Rowe of Bowie and Diane Turley of Wentzville, Mo.; one brother; and one grandson.