By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Tom Stowell dedicated his life to the service of others.

His efforts were appreciated by those in Ortonville, where he lived for several decades, as well as by the less fortunate in many surrounding communities through his long career with the non-profit Lighthouse of Oakland County.

Tom Stowell died Nov. 25, 2016 at his home in Prescott Valley, Ariz.

He was 63.

Tom was born on Jan. 26, 1953 in Goodrich to Archie Raymond and Dorothy Marie Stowell. He grew up in Ortonville and graduated from Brandon High School in 1971. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University before attending Michigan State University, where he earned a master’s degree in parks and recreation.

Tom first joined Lighthouse as a volunteer in 1985 and was hired four years later as assistant director, and his career with Lighthouse would ultimately span more than 25 years, including a decade as chief operating officer and concluding with his retirement as executive director of emergency services at the organization that advocated for people in crisis, including the homeless. In a 2007 story for The Citizen following his promotion to executive director of emergency services, Tom said, “We give people hope. Once you have hope, you can do many things. Without hope, what do you have? People need to be heard. Sometimes we just listen.”

Tom served as an Ortonville Village Councilmember from 1981-1985 and as president of the council from 1985-1990. He then moved on to serve Brandon Township as a trustee from 1996-2012.

He was essential in the establishment of recreation in the area. A resolution forming the Brandon Groveland Ortonville Joint Recreation Commission was adopted in December 1980 and Tom was BGO Director from 1980-1989. His successful grant writing and work on behalf of Brandon Recreation in later years resulted in establishment of the Brandon Township Community Park on Hadley Road.

Tom also served on the Brandon Township Library Board, the Brandon Township Fire Authority, the Ortonville Chamber of Commerce, was a director of the Downtown Development Authority and president and member of the Ortonville Community Historical Society. He received several commendations from the state legislature for his dedication to community service.

“In my opinion Tom Stowell was a gentle giant, not just in stature, but in being a human being,” said Karen McArthur, longtime Brandon Township deputy clerk and friend to Tom. “He was the example of what you would like every elected official to be. Always thinking of the welfare of others, what was best for the community he represented, what was the fair decision to make for all concerned. He was always the person every supervisor chose to come up with the most rational decision when there was a problem. As an employer he was the same. What do you need to do the best job for all the kids and families and ‘let me help, everyone works as a team.’ He was very good at getting help when he needed it. We all volunteered when he asked. His heart was bigger than he was and everyone knew it.”

Tom is survived by his brother, Duane (Mary) Stowell of Prescott Valley, Ariz.; sister, Diane Stowell of Cottonwood, Ariz.; brother-in-law, Robert (Brenda) Polzin of Grand Blanc, Mich.; nephew, Kevin Polzin of Davison, Mich.; niece, Kathleen (Randall) Harmon of Prescott Valley; and grandniece Sara Harmon and grandnephew Michael Harmon of Prescott Valley.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Dorothy Stowell and his sister, Suzanne Polzin.

Tom’s ashes will be interred in the Ortonville Cemetery. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Tom Stowell Good Neighbor Fund at Lighthouse of Oakland County.