Funeral services for Wilford D. Gower, 96, of Murrieta, California, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and successful business leader for many years in southern California, will be on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego with the Rev. Dr. Dennis Ginoza officiating. Full military rites will be rendered.
Col. Gower died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015.

He was a widower and at the time of his death is survived by four of his five children. Linda (Gower) Dolph and her husband Dr. Harry Dolph reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Phillip L. Gower and wife Beth of Mount Carmel, Illinois, were born to his first wife, Norma who preceded him in death. His son Bill Gower (Wilford D. Gower, Jr.) passed away at age 50 on Jan. 13, 2006; Dr. Marianne (Gower) Stratton and husband Perry of Sandpoint, Idaho; and Elise (Gower) Bryant and her husband Cameron of Murrieta, California. Wil's wife of 51 years, Jean E. Gower, passed away on Aug. 23, 2004.
He was a proud father, grandfather of 8 and great grandfather of 3 and member of a large family and extended family. Wil loved his daughter-in-law Shirley Gower of Orange, California.

He was the son of W.W. Gower and his wife Luela Dempsey Gower born on May 17, 1918 in Ohio County, Kentucky. He is survived by a brother, Kenneth Gower of Sebree, Kentucky.

When WWII began, Wil who was registered with the National Roster of Scientists and Engineers turned down a job offer as Chemist for a government munitions plant and volunteered for Army entering service in March 1942 at Fort Knox. He had graduated in 1940 with a BS in Chemistry with Math and History minors from Western Kentucky University. He began teaching high school in fall of 1940 in Onton, Kentucky. His wartime training continued at Camp Walter, Texas, Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Dix, New Jersey as a combat Infantry officer for the 102nd Ozark Regiment created in response to the world war. He is a highly decorated officer who entered front lines in Normandy, France and Holland. He was promoted to Major in fall of 1945 and stayed in post war Germany as part of the U.S. Constabulary Force rounding up wanted Nazi commanders.

The outbreak of Korean War saw Wil placed in Japan to train the Japanese National Defense Force in event of an attempted incursion by China. He saw more overseas duty in the late 1950s in South Korea when the Army was strengthening resources. He attended Syracuse University in 1955 to attain the MBA and was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington as Comptroller from 1956-59, where he developed new modern management practices, which became a model for Army management.
He was assigned to the Pentagon in a key role and where he had the Eagles of a Colonel pinned on his uniform during the Kennedy Administration. He also continued doctoral program studies at The American University while in the nation's capital. He retired from the Army as Colonel on Nov. 30, 1963 taking a senior management position in aerospace industry.

Wil Gower lived for 20 years in San Juan Capistrano, before moving to Fallbrook in 1989 where he made a mission of community voluntarism, beginning first as a long-serving member of the Fallbrook United Methodist Church. The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce named its office building after him. In 2006, he served as Chairman of the Board of Education's Fallbrook Citizens Advisory Committee, assisting in the administration of $37 million for eight schools. He was proud of many recognitions, including Fallbrook Citizen of the Year and leading a successful effort to save Live Oak Park, founding a coalition of volunteers who developed beautiful gardens, park building, parking and picnic areas.

He was introduced by a county commissioner as the "Legend of Fallbrook" for his leadership roles in retirement.
He also wrote two books as an octogenarian to express his personal philosophies. First was LESSONS: To Be Happy and Successful and two years later, he authored Mapping Life's Tomorrows in which he pens some insight into how to avoid some of life's problems.
"We cannot change the past but we can use the knowledge of the past to help us move forward at any age," Wil Gower teaches in his writing.
His honors included 60 year membership recognition by the Masonic Lodge, 50 year member of Shriners International, and assisting his hometown newspaper in various matters as well as active Rotary Club and Garden Club member.

In Lieu of flowers the family would ask that you make a donation to:
The College Heights Foundation at Western Kentucky University
Attention: The Gower Endowment Scholarship Fund