Lee Gowan is a 1942 graduate of Elma High School. He was a World War II veteran and earned the Soldier’s Medal of Valor. He retired from the Washington State Utilities Transportation Commission after several years of service.
Winnie Gowan moved to Washington in 1951. She worked for the Bell Telephone Company in Aberdeen for many years.
Lee and Winnie were married on May 12, 1951 in Elma. After several years of living in Grays Harbor, they relocated to Summit Lake, spending many pleasant years there. They enjoyed many fun adventures with family, friends and their beloved dogs, making many new friends along the way. They moved back to Elma in 1982 and resided there until their passing in February of 2019 within two days of each other. They had been married for 68 years.
The Lee and Winnie Gowan Memorial Scholarship is for Elma graduates pursuing a vocational/technical degree,