A funeral mass was celebrated Jan. 23 at St. Aedan’s Church for Thomas F. Cowan, labor leader and state senator, who not only dedicated his life to his family, but gave a voice to the voiceless. He died Jan. 17.
Born in 1927, on Easter Sunday morning in the Greenville section of Jersey City, Cowan would credit his remarkable life to the love and dedication of his mother Mary (nee) McCarthy and father Thomas, a railroad engineer. Tom attended St. Paul’s grammar school and Holy Family Academy in Bayonne. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean Conflict and a brief sojourn into tavern ownership, Cowan got a job as an apprentice engineer and earned a degree from Seton Hall University evening division. Cowan rose through the ranks from crane operator to business representative for Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
Cowan was elected to the state assembly in 1977 and served from 1978 to 1984, representing parts of Bergen and Hudson County, until his election to the state senate in 1983. During his career, Tom established a reputation as a respected legislator who worked with both sides of the aisle to promote legislation. “Tom was a thoroughly decent man and a good friend who served his district and our state very well,” said former Governor Thomas H. Kean. “Even in the most difficult situations he maintained his warmth and good humor. He will be sorely missed.”
“Tom was a great legislator and a good friend,” said former Governor Brendan Byrne. “His contribution to good government in New Jersey will long be appreciated.”
A steady stream of friends from all walks of life helped Cowan celebrate his Irish heritage each year at his legendary St. Patrick’s Day open house. A proud member and trustee of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Cowan was selected as Irishman of the Year in 1982. As the finance chair of St. Aedan’s Church and a member of the Holy Name Society, Tom’s dedication to his faith and community never waivered. Cowan was also a member of the Serra club which worked to foster and support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He also sat on the Board of United Way of Hudson County.
“Tom believed in using his position to help people,” said former legislative aide, Rich Dwyer. “He was very involved in causes like United Cerebral Palsy and Brain Injured Children. He took great pride in his constituent service operation, which was considered one of the best in the state.”
“Tom was an early and long time champion of the children of New Jersey,” said Peter Herbst, executive director of the Hudson County Child Abuse Center. Cowan cosponsored legislation that created the New Jersey Children’s Trust Fund. “To honor his commitment to children, the Center’s Distinguished Service Award was named after him in 2004. As a family man, he was devoted and beloved. As human being, he was without peer. We will miss him.”
Everyone who knew Tom was well aware of the large belt buckle he wore daily emblazoned with the logo of Local 825. “Cowan was first and foremost a working man,” said former aide Bart Erbach. “If you didn’t know that before you shook his hand, you knew it after. He wouldn’t ride in a limousine. He treated everyone he met with the same respect.”
“My father was a man who put his faith into practice,” said his daughter, Maree. “He and my mother would sometimes stay overnight helping in homeless shelters. He didn’t want anyone to know. He always said the best applause is the quietest applause.”
Tom was pre-deceased by his mother Mary; his father Thomas; his loving wives, Mary (nee) Heaney (d. 1955) and Marion (nee) Dwyer (d. 2001); a son Thomas Jr. (“Kip”); sisters, Mary Jane and Isabel; and a brother Bill. He will be tremendously missed by his family, devoted daughter, Marion and son Joseph; son-in-law Wilfred; daughter-in-law Jen; loving grandchildren, Melissa, Megan, Sarah and Thomas; sisters, Helen, Kathleen, Joan; and brother-in-law, Arthur. In addition, he is survived by many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Services arranged by the McLaughlin Funeral Home, Jersey City.