Ian. He was a loving husband to Marie, an incredible father to Matt and Evan and a proud grandpa to Mason. Born and raised in Beamsville, Ian was the third of four children to Robert and Lois Gowans. He grew up alongside his older sisters, Susan and Kathy and younger brother Keith. While his father Robert and sister Kathy are no longer with us, the family bonds and memories they shared remained an important part of Ian’s life.
Ian lived a life filled with achievement, connection and purpose. His love for family, nature, teaching, coaching and sports touched the lives of so many throughout the years.
Family was central to Ian’s early years, with his parents creating a childhood filled with love, encouragement and adventure. Summer breaks brought family travels, camping trips, exploring new places and making memories together. Closer to home, Ian enjoyed the outdoors and began playing hockey at a young age. He also spent his summers working on the local farm just up the street. He attended Beamsville District Secondary School, where his passion for sports grew through volleyball and athletics. Sports remained a lifelong part of Ian’s identity by bringing friendships, teamwork and eventually, opportunities to share his passion as a coach and mentor.
Ian was a gifted and passionate teacher with the York Region District School Board. He touched the lives of hundreds of students through his love of science, sports and technology. Lifelong friendships and lasting memories were developed throughout all of the high schools Ian was a part of, including Thornhill, Denison, Buroak and finally, he retired alongside the Tilley Boys. He was a pillar in education as he eventually helped teachers implement new technologies in their classrooms as a CRT with the board. His love for learning didn’t stop there. One year, he applied and got accepted to help Nasa create and develop some learning material on Space.
Community was important to Ian. He loved his local town of Mount Albert and coached soccer, baseball, volleyball and hockey in the community. He helped clear trails, develop a neighbourhood outdoor hockey rink, helped plant the Millenium Garden and volunteer at the Mount Albert Sports Day Fair. For years, the families on Valley Mills in Mount Albert played baseball, skated on a homemade rink, and celebrated Christmas and Canada Day together creating lasting memories. After that, Ian decided they needed to try something new, so he initiated the Annual Gowans spiel to introduce his neighbours and colleagues to curling. Eventually, Ian and Marie became part of an even larger community of curlers at the Uxbridge Curling Club which brought joy and friendships for decades to come.
A love for sports was at the heart of how Ian and Marie first met as they both played on the varsity teams at the University of Waterloo. From that moment on, volleyball was a constant part of their lives. Ian continued to play volleyball, then switched to coaching. After coaching his son in OVA and numerous high school teams, he was asked to coach the Canadian Deaf National team to play in the Deaf Olympics in Copenhagen. After that, he was off to the U.S. Open to help coach his wife Marie’s team in Texas followed by a trip to Italy for the World Masters.
Ian took the shock of discovering he had ALS and turned it into a mission, embodying the spirit of perseverance that defines the entire ALS community. The resilience and grace that Ian approached this disease with was truly admirable. He took the knowledge of a shortened life and used it to embrace and appreciate the time he had. He prioritized and lived the important bucket list moments he wanted to experience such as road tripping to Major League Baseball games and witnessing an owl in the forests of Manitoba. Ian learned to let his emotions out and share his feelings openly with his loved ones. He was always interested in what was going on in everyone else’s life, and always made you feel like the most important person in the room, despite his own struggles.
A private family service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at Low and Low Funeral Home, Uxbridge (905-852-3073). A Celebration of Life will be held at Mill Run Golf Course, 269 Durham Regional Rd 8, Uxbridge on Sunday, November 22, 2026 from 1p.m. to 4p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to ALS Double Play or Nature Conservancy Canada. For online condolences, please visit www.lowandlow.ca
Services
Celebration of Life
Sunday
November 22, 2026
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Mill Run Golf Course
269 Durham Regional Road 8
Uxbridge, ON L9P1R1
