SOWERS, John W.

Arizona Silver Belt, Globe, Arizona, Tuesday, December 30, 2014 John W. Sowers, a successful newspaper editor and college professor, passed away at his ranch home north of Globe on Dec. 18, 2014. He was 68. John was born on December 18, 1946 in Seattle, Wash., where his father John Thomas Sowers was stationed at the end of World War II. At an early age he moved with his father and mother Cleo Ann (Grubbs) Sowers to their native Indiana. At age nine, John moved with his parents, sister Edie and brother Kent to the Phoenix area, where a second sister, Lisa was born. John graduated from Andalucia Elementary School, briefly attended Carl Hayden High School, and graduated from Alhambra High School, where he was student editor of the school newspaper. At age 15, he was part of a group of students who met and shook hands with President John F. Kennedy. He attended Phoenix College where he served as the student body president, earning an Associate of Arts degree. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism/Public Relations from Northern Arizona University in 1968. He was on the newspaper staffs of both colleges. After graduation, John went to work as a reporter/photographer at the Casa Grande Dispatch, a small-town newspaper where he quickly became editor. He left the Dispatch in 1970 to work for Central Arizona College (CAC) when it was established in Pinal County. He took the position of public relations and marketing director, and soon created an award-winning journalism program there. He returned to the Dispatch in 1973 and assisted in making it a daily newspaper. While there he also created the Tri-Valley Dispatch, a weekly insert in the Dispatch, Florence Reminder & Blade-Tribune, Coolidge Examiner and the Eloy Enterprise. John served as executive editor for all these newspapers as well as the Gila Bend Herald. In 1976, John returned to CAC as Professor of Journalism/Mass Communications. He taught courses in journalism, photojournalism, graphic design, television, video and radio. He was also the advisor for the student newspaper, the CACtus. He was the first executive director of the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association. John’s stewardship of the CAC journalism program made it one of the best junior college programs in the country. Always the innovator, he challenged his students to far surpass their own perceived potential. Many of his CAC students won numerous journalism awards and went on to successful journalism-related careers. John retired from CAC in 2002. John was the founder/co-owner of Cherry Creek Associates, a media consulting firm; as well as founder/co-owner of Central Arizona Printing and Office Supply in Coolidge, Ariz. He was also a published poet. John earned many honors and awards during his life, including the 1979 Arizona Newspapers Association Junior College Teacher of the Year and in 1985, in cooperation with Northern Arizona University’s Department of Journalism, the Associated Press-Robert R. Eunson Alumni Achievement Award in Journalism. During his working years, John and his wife Sarah built a house on land they purchased on Cherry Creek north of Globe. They named their ranch the OBARO (O-O). After his retirement, they transformed their property into a working cattle ranch. At the present time, that ranch supports 125 head of cattle and includes 57,000 acres of land. At the time of his death, John was an active board member of the Gila County Cattle Grower’s Association. John was a lifelong dog and animal lover, from his first dog Putt Putt to his current dog Lula. He was a steward of the land and the animals on it. His entrepreneurial spirit and boundless energy helped him in each of his careers, especially the ranching career after his retirement from CAC. John is survived by Sarah, his wife of 37 years; his daughter, Andi (Ted) Fourlis of Phoenix; their children, Alexa, Athanasia and Anna; his daughter-in-law, Maria Sowers of Phoenix and her children Boa, Krush and Steele; sisters, Edie (Craig) Bennett of California and Lisa (Jon) Harlan of Colorado and brother Kent (Lynn) Sowers of Goodyear; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Cleo Sowers of Wickenburg, Ariz.; and his son, John Matthew Sowers of Phoenix. Per John’s wishes, there will be no services. The family was assisted by Bulman Miles Funeral Services of Globe.