Hester Anne Cowan

Hester Anne Cowan, 93, of Boone, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2023.
She is survived by daughters, Ellen Cowan and husband Keith Seramur of Boone, NC and Susan
Cowan of Kailua, HI. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Alison Seramur Hall and
husband, Justin Hall, Mary Seramur, and Kalen Smith. She is survived by her brother, James
Stronach and wife Fran Stronach of Ottawa, Ontario. She was preceded in death by her
husband William “Bill” Cowan, son-in-law George Smith, and parents George Stronach and Ellen
Bradley Stronach.
Hester was born on March 14, 1930, in Toronto, Ontario Canada. She graduated from
Branksome Hall and the University of Toronto, where she majored in Physical Therapy. She was
a member of Pi Beta Phi. Hester emigrated to the United States to marry Bill Cowan from
Knoxville, TN. They were married for 67 years. She became a US citizen in 1970 so she could
fulfill her civic responsibilities.
She called the High Country of NC home for the last 23 years, where she was a devoted
“Grammy” to her granddaughters. Prior to that she lived in Birmingham and Dryden, MI. Hester
loved and cared for all animals, wild and domestic. In Dryden, she raised and trained Golden
Retrievers to compete in field trials. Hammer and Gunner made the move to Boone, and Sandy
provided loyal companionship through her later years. Hester was an avid gardener and was
known for her beautiful roses. Every spring, she traveled to the nursery to choose new annuals
to plant in the front gardens. Hester actively supported her grandchildren’s pursuits. She
attended musical recitals, track meets, basketball games and golf matches of Alison and Mary,
and she watched and read Kalen’s baseball and football highlights. She was an avid fan of the
Detroit Red Wings hockey and University of Michigan football. Her memory is cherished by
many lifelong friends and neighbors.
She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church. A memorial service will be conducted at a later
date.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Defenders of Wildlife at 1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036 or https://defenders.org/.

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