Tom Stowell: A life of service remembered
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., where he had resided since 2011.
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.”
His other service roles included elected offices including Brandon Township trustee and president of the Ortonville Village Council. Tom also served as president of the Ortonville Community Historical Society, and on the Brandon Township Library Board, the Brandon Township Fire Authority, and on the Ortonville Chamber of Commerce. He was very involved with Brandon Township Recreation and his successful grant writing and work on behalf of the department resulted in establishment of the Brandon Township Community Park on Hadley Road. He received several commendations from the state legislature for his dedication to community service.
He 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.