Joseph G. McGowan, 85, of West Liberty died Wednesday at the Orchard Manor Nursing Home, Grove City, after a long illness.

Born in Donora, Washington County, March 25, 1921, he was the son of James and Veronica Welsh McGowan.

He retired from the foundry at Cooper Energy Services in Grove City after 42 years.

Mr. McGowan was a member of the St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Slippery Rock and had helped with the initial construction of the church.

He was an World War II Army veteran and a member and former commander of the Slippery Rock American Legion. He also was a member of the Harrisville VFW Post.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Jane Gorencic McGowan, whom he married Oct. 21, 1968; three sons, Richard John McGowan of Slippery Rock, Robert Joseph McGowan and his wife, Janet, of Harrisville and David W. McGowan of Phoenix, Ariz.; two daughters, Sheila M. Bosch and her husband, Edmund, of Slippery Rock and Sharon E. Christy and her husband, Larry, of Grove City; 10 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Twila Mae Webb McGowan, who died in 1963; two sons, Charles Lee and Daniel McGowan; two brothers, James and Patrick McGowan; and four sisters, Mary Genge, Dorothy Snyder, Mildred Bell and Alice Byers.

<B>MCGOWAN</B> — Friends of Joseph G. McGowan, who died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the <B>Smith Funeral Home</B>, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at the St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, Slippery Rock, with the Rev. James Armstrong, officiating. Burial will be at the St. Anthony Cemetery, Harrisville.