Jackie "Jack" R. Cowherd

Jackie Rhea “Jack” Cowherd, 88, of Staunton, Virginia, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, June 8, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family as he entered his heavenly home.

Jack was born on December 1, 1937, at home in Old Hickory, Tennessee, to Ellis Franklin Cowherd and Willie Mae Cowherd. He lived a life defined by dedication to family, service to his community, and genuine care for those around him.

Jack graduated from the Engineering School at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1959. He began his career with DuPont in Old Hickory, Tennessee, before transferring to Waynesboro, Virginia, where he spent the majority of his professional life. He retired from DuPont in 2004 after a long and successful career. Throughout his years with the company, he earned the respect and admiration of colleagues as a generous, fair, and well-liked coworker and supervisor. His leadership, integrity, and willingness to help others left a lasting impression on all who worked alongside him.

Jack shared a loving marriage with Dr. Carol Shannon for forty-six years. After Carol’s passing in April 2025, he continued to cherish their shared memories and the life they built together. They enjoyed traveling, their beautiful gardens, and time in the Outer Banks (OBX).

A man of faith and community involvement, Jack was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. He was also a member of Tennessee’s Gamma Chapter of the National Engineering Honor Society and was active for many years in both the Kiwanis Club and Lions Club. In recent years, he especially enjoyed weekly breakfasts with his fellow Lions Club members, valuing the friendships and fellowship those gatherings provided. Among those friendships, Dennis Hastert held a special place in Jack’s life.

Outside of his professional and community activities, Jack was a “jack of all trades” who spent countless hours building, repairing, and improving things around his home. He was always willing to lend his skills and knowledge to help his children with their own projects. Known for his remarkable memory and attention to detail, family members often referred to him as their own personal encyclopedia. He also took great pride in the beautiful gardens surrounding his home and enjoyed spending time researching his family’s genealogy, a pursuit that brought him much satisfaction and helped preserve his family’s history for future generations.

Jack is survived by his daughter, Jill Browning (David); his son, Eric Cowherd (Mary); his stepdaughters, Shannon Kellogg Leliveld (Ingmar), and Allison Wall (Stephen); and his brother, Ronnie Cowherd (Barbara).

He was a proud grandfather to Emily Morris, Ethan Morris, Carter Morris, Trevor Browning, Rhea Cowherd, Jonah Cowherd, Kees Leliveld, Annemarieke Leliveld, MiMi Leliveld, Luke Wall, and Norah Wall. He was proudly called “Poppa” by his grandchildren, whom he loved dearly. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren, who brought him sweet smiles and much joy.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Dr. Carol Shannon; his brothers, Freeman Cowherd and Franklin Cowherd; and his sister, Norma Dean McMurtry.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jack’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association (Alzheimer's Association ) or to the FSHD Society (www.fshdsociety.org). Both organizations held special meaning for Jack and his family.

The family extends its sincere thanks to the dedicated teams at University of Virginia Cancer Center Augusta and Hospice of the Shenandoah for their extraordinary care, kindness, and support throughout Jack’s journey. Their compassion meant more than words can express