James Howell Cowan, longtime Malibu resident and founder of James H. Cowan and Associates of Malibu, has died. He was 79.
Cowan died on Feb. 4 at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, due to complications with his kidneys.
Born in Honolulu on June 4, 1923, Cowan spent the majority of his youth in Hilo, Hawaii. While at the University of Hawaii, Cowan was active with the ROTC, joining the Hawaiian National Guard and subsequently the U.S. Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
At the end of World War II, Cowan traveled to California and attended USC for a degree in botany and UC Berkeley for a degree in landscape architecture. During the Korean War, Cowan was active with the Marine Corps and received the Silver Star for his role in securing the safety of his fellow marines during the battle with the Chinese Red Army at the Chosin Reservoir. He was the platoon leader of the 3rd Platoon, Baker Company, 1st Battalion, and 1st Marines, from November 1950 through 1951.
Cowan moved to Malibu in 1957 and began his landscape construction business, James H. Cowan & Associates. Cowan actively managed his business with his son and daughter (Clark and Kendall) until his death. During Cowan’s career he was honored at the White House in 1967 by First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson and received the “Beautify America Award” for his contributions at Busch Gardens in Van Nuys, Calif.
Cowan was a founding member of the Los Angeles area chapter of the Izaak Walton League, a group devoted to wildlife conservation issues.
Cowan is survived by his wife Deirdre, sister Beverly Mathis, son Clark Cowan and daughter-in-law Joanne Cowan, daughter Kendall Whitney and son-in-law Greg Whitney, and six grandchildren.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. at the Stauffer Chapel at Pepperdine University. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be sent to The Nursing Initiative at Saint John’s Fund, 1328 22nd Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90404.