The Family of Philip J. Rowley and Irene Mastin Rowley

The Parents of Philip J. Rowley

Philip E. Rowley and Irene West Rowley

The Parents of Irene Mastin

Lemon Mastin and Clara Caskey Mastin

Rowley Family Tree

West Family Tree

Mastin Family Tree

Caskey Family Tree

Marriages of Philip J. Rowley

Marriage to Irene Mastin in 1942

Marriages of Irene Mastin

1st Marriage to Philip J. Rowley in 1942

2nd Marriage to George D. MacPherson in 1987

The Obituary of Philip J. Rowley

27 June 1921 - 25 November 1982

From the Geneva Times, 26 November 1982

Hemlock - Philip J. Rowley, 61, of Howcroft Road, former chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, died yesterday at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Friends my call from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Brown-Drowne Funeral Home, Route 15, Livonia, where Masonic services will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Honeoye United Church of Christ, with burial in Lakeview Cemetery, Honeoye.

Memorial contributions may be made to Honeoye United Church of Christ.

Rowley had been in and out of the hospital since August for treatent of leukemia, a friend, Robert Belmont, said. He was admitted for the final time last Wednesday.

Belmont, who served with Rowley as a councilman on the Richmond town board and succeeded him as supervisor, described the former Republican supervisor as “very involved in politics. He thought it was an essential part of democracy, and enjoyed talking to young people, urging them to get involved. He thought politics was a healthy and noble aspiration.”

As Richmond supervisor for 20 years, Rowley was instrumental in the construction of the town’s sewer plant and the town hall, which houses town offices, including the highway department, Belmont said. On the county level, as chairman of the county board of supervisors for 11 years, Rowley worked to have town roads upgraded to county roads, giving the area access to major cities.

Although he retired from town and county government in 1976 following a heart attack in 1975, Rowley continued to be influential in local government, said Belmont. “Rarely a week went by that we didn’t make contact, either in person or on the telephone. He was interested in the county takeover of the railroad, the economic development, town and county budgets. Although he did not try to influence my vote, he was helpful in sharing his opinions, and I had a high regard for his judgment,” Belmont said.

“It is a measure of the respect people had for him that he was reelected to the board ten times, and rose on the county level to become chairman of the board of supervisors, a difficult feat when you come from a small town with few votes,” Belmont said.

Rowley was a close family man, Belmont said, and “it was a big delight to him when members of his family entered politics. His son, Robert, is a member of the Canadice town board, and his daughter, Gail Graham, was elected four years ago to the Richmond town board,” Belmont added.

Rowley began his political career as Richmond town assessor, and was elected supervisor in 1956. He became chairman of the county board of supervisors in 1958, the youngest person elected to that office, and served until 1969, setting a record for length of service. He also served as county budget director.

In 1964, Rowley was an unsuccessful independent candidate for the state Assembly against incumbent Frederick Warder of Geneva, who defeated Rowley in a Republican primary.

Re-elected to the county board in 1972, he served as chairman of the Transportation Committee and a member of several other committees. He was a member of the county and regional planning boards and a member of the Genesee River Basin Water Resources Study Commission.

A lifelong resident of Richmond, Rowley graduated from Hemlock High School and studied at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. He was a graduate of Aetna Casualty and Surety insurance sales school of Hartford, Conn.

He was a deacon at Honeoye United Church of Christ, past master of Honeoye Eagle Lodge Free and Associated Masons, past commander of Honeoye Hemlock American Legion Post, past commander of Ontario County American Legion, life member of Richmond volunteer fire department.

A self-employed businessman, Rowley had a real estate and insurance agency in Honeoye for 35 years. He was an advisory board member of Security Trust Company of Rochester.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Mastin Rowley; two daughters, Mrs. Lorraine Boyd and Mrs. Gail Graham, both of Honeoye; a son and daughter-in-law Robert and Molly Rowley of Honeoye; six grandchildren; his stepmother, Mrs. Idella Rowley of Holcomb; one brother, Vincent Rowley of Honeoye; one sister, Miss Ethel Rowley of Buffalo and several nieces and nephews.

The Obituary of Irene Mastin Rowley MacPherson

17 August 1924 - 19 August 2012

From the Dougherty Funeral Homes, August 2012

Honeoye - Irene Rowley MacPherson passed away on Aug. 19, 2012, at age 88.

Irene was born in the town of Canadice to Clara and Lemon Mastin. She was predeceased by four brothers, Elwin (Emeline) Mastin, Otto (Lottie) Mastin, Earl Mastin, Harold Mastin; and one sister, Onolee (Amos) Jenks.

She was married for 40 years to Philip J. Rowley, who passed away in 1982. She married George D. MacPherson in 1987 and he passed away in 2007.

She is survived by three children, Lorraine Boyd, Gail R. (Douglas) Meier and Robert V. (Laura) Rowley; six grandchildren, Kevin R. Graham, Jennifer Rowley Ramsdell, Kym Graham Gosselin, Roberta Jo Rowley Starling, Heidi Boyd Conlin and Kristine Graham Condon; 14 great-grandchildren, Riley, Eli, Quin, Grace, Katie, Megan, Jacob, Justin, Emma, Lucy, Shayne, Amanda, Grant and Jake; brother, Ivan (Virginia) Mastin; and sisters-in-law, Helen and Grace Mastin.

Irene was a member of the Honeoye Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 350.

Friends may call on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Kevin W. Dougherty Funeral Home, Route 20A, 8624 Main St., Honeoye. A funeral service will be held on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Honeoye United Church of Christ. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Honeoye United Church of Christ, P.O. Box 127, Honeoye, NY 14471; or Richmond Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 469, Honeoye, NY 14471.

The Burial of Philip J. Rowley

Lakeview Cemetery in Honeoye NY

The Burial of Irene Mastin Rowley MacPherson

Lakeview Cemetery in Honeoye NY

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