Dr. Dan Cowman

Dr. Dan Charles Cowman, MD, passed away on August 27, 2015, at age 60, at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Dan was born on February 13, 1955, in Nampa, Idaho, to Carol William Cowman and Carrol Viola Cowman, nee Fiedler. He was the oldest of seven siblings. From an early age, he had a strong interest in and affinity for science. He excelled in Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle in 1969; he then went on to earn a bronze palm. In 1971, he earned the God and Country award. He attended the National Jamboree in 1969 at age 14 and the World Jamboree in 1971 in Japan. Dan was awarded a prestigious full four-year scholarship for science to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During college, he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies; he also received a $12,000 National Science Foundation grant to support his research. Dan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and general science, magna cum laude, in 1977. He went on to attend medical school at Stanford University School of Medicine, graduating in 1981. Dan served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1981 – 1985. During this time, he completed his internship in Flexible Medicine, 1981-1982. He was then selected for a specialized training program in Aerospace Medicine and Flight Surgery from March – August 1983, where he received the Fox Flag award for graduating first in his class. At discharge, Dan had earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Dan completed residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Texas at Houston, graduating in 1989. He entered private practice radiology in the Conroe/Woodlands area thereafter. He was a member of Conroe Tomball Radiologists, 1989 – 2007. He served as Chief of Staff at Tomball Regional Medical Center in 1993 and was Chief of Breast Imaging at Memorial Hermann, The Woodlands Hospital, 2004 - 2007. He joined Innovative Radiology in 2007 where he was affiliated with Conroe Regional Medical Center and Kindred Hospital- Houston. Outside of his professional career, Dan had a great interest in the history of medicine and was a passionate collector of patent medicines and almanacs. Over more than 30 years, he amassed one of the largest patent medicine collections in the country and created an exhaustive catalog of existing patent medicines and almanacs. He greatly loved the outdoors; favorite pastimes included surf fishing, deep-sea fishing, and relaxing at the beach. He was also a wine connoisseur and enjoyed sharing a glass of fine Cabernet with a friend or family member. Dan’s family, friends, and coworkers appreciated his kindness, generosity, dedication, and hard-working nature. His quiet strength formed the foundation of his family. One of Dan’s greatest joys was to care for and provide for his family, especially his wife and his three daughters. He will be greatly missed by all those who had the privilege to know him. Dan is survived by his wife of 18 years, Kathryn Ann Cowman; his daughters, Erika Marie Nealey, Sarah Nicole Cowman, and Rachel Elizabeth Cowman; his mother, Carrol Cowman; his siblings, Cindy Bergeman, Tim Cowman, Francie Aguilar, Casey Cowman, and Erin Talsma; and many nieces and nephews.