John Vincent Dowal

ATHOL - John Vincent Dowal, 91, of 208 Colonial Drive, Athol, died Friday, December 10, 2010 at the Baldwinville Nursing Home. John was born in Gardner on September 10, 1919, the son of William and Stefania (Sawinski) Dowal. He grew up there, graduating from Gardner High School with the class of 1937. John moved to Athol nearly seventy years ago, upon his marriage to Iris T. Marchegiani in 1941. He was a Marine Corps sergeant who served in the Gilbert, Marshall, and Marianas Island Operations in the South Pacific during World War II. John was a grocer, working at the IGA City Market in Gardner for over thirty years. He continued in the business, working for Victory Supermarkets into his eighties. John was a communicant of Our Lady Immaculate Church in Athol and volunteered as a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society for several years. He loved skiing during the winter and the beaches of Cape Cod in summer. John enjoyed cooking and spending time with his family. He leaves two daughters, Mary A. Fadel of Chelmsford, MA, Christine L. Dowal of Chomedey, Quebec, Canada; three sons, Michael J. Dowal of New Hampton, NH, Peter M. Dowal of Moreno Valley, CA, John P. Dowal of Brewster, MA; one sister, Josephine Cormier of Gardner, MA; one brother, Zigmund Dowal of Collegeville, MN; nine grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his wife of sixty-five years, Iris T. (Marchegiani) Dowal, on May 27, 2007. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in Our Lady Immaculate Church, 192 School St., Athol. Those attending the Mass are requested to meet directly at the church. Burial will follow in Gethsemane Cemetery, Athol. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made in his memory to Our Lady Immaculate Church, 192 School St., Athol, MA 01331. $(document).ready(function(){ });