John Orian Rowell Jr., known as Jack to all who knew him, lived 88 years and passed away peacefully March 16, 2026 in Radford. Born July 11, 1937 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Jack spent most of his young life growing up in Blacksburg with his four siblings Barbra Helen, Larry, Janet and Rob.
After graduating from Blacksburg High School, Jack began his military journey by enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1955. He continued this journey at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) where he endured the Rat Line and graduated in 1962, commissioning as a US Army officer. Shortly thereafter, Jack had the good fortune to be introduced to Zoe Myers in Atlanta. They married in December 1962. Jack and Zoe raised two boys (John and Mark) and launched several decades of adventure that included two tours in Vietnam and waypoints in Georgia, Kentucky, Colorado, Panama, and of course Virginia.
While jumping out of many “perfectly good airplanes” as an Airborne Army Officer, Jack constantly looked for new experiences. Whether he was learning to sail, scuba dive, ride motorcycles, waterski, or ride, train, and shoe horses, Jack approached each pursuit with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a little humility when he endured the occasional mishap. When he was not outside, he was inside reading and brushing up on his Spanish.
After leaving the Army, Jack worked for the Panama Canal Commission and the Virginia Department of Emergency Services. After fully retiring in 1994, Jack and Zoe traveled extensively while also raising horses and keeping a beautiful house and garden nestled in the woods just outside of Fairlawn.
While Parkinson’s caught up to Jack in his later years and kept him from the outdoor escapades he loved, he never lost his good nature and deep love for his wife Zoe.
He is survived by his sons John and Mark, and three grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to honor both Jack and his wife Zoe in a Celebration of Life on May 30 at 2 p.m. at the Mullens Funeral Home in Radford, preceded by an informal gathering at 1 p.m. to meet and share memories of them both. While bittersweet that they both departed so close together, it is fitting to co-celebrate their lives which were so poetically intertwined.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Jack’s memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org.
The Rowell family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford.
