Benjamin Dollar Cowley, Sr. of Hockessin, DE, formerly of Elkton, MD, died on August 24, 2012 at the age of 84. He married the love of his life, Mary Francis Hammond on September 30, 1952 in the chapel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He and Mary met in the Army, and both served in Korea during the Korean War, where Mary served as a MASH nurse. He was the proud father and grandfather of one son, one daughter, and one granddaughter.

Ben was born in Laurinberg, NC on February 23, 1928, the son of Benjamin Cornelius and Lucille Dollar Cowley, and moved to Detroit, MI and Shrewsbury, MA where he was raised. He graduated in 1949 with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He spent three years in the Army and was discharged in 1953 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps. He remained in the Army Reserve until 1964 and retired as a Captain. He did post-graduate work at Clark University, Worcester Poly Tech, Northeastern University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Delaware.

Ben worked for the DuPont Company for 30 years in R&D and manufacturing in Louisville, KY, Montague, MI, Beaumont, TX, Wilmington, DE, Victoria, TX, and back to Wilmington, DE. He graduated from Widener University School of Law at age 60 after retiring from DuPont. He practiced law for 10 years, 5 years in the Cecil County, MD State’s Attorney’s Office and 5 years with Craig Morton, Esq. in Elkton, MD in the area of wills and trusts. In 2007, he moved to Cokesbury Village in Hockessin, DE, where he met his great friend of the past 4 years, Joanne Patterson.

Ben loved to ski, enjoyed archery, and subsequently enjoyed tennis, golf, and bridge, which he played for many years. Ben and Mary were longtime active members of Rock Presbyterian Church in Elkton, MD. They also made regular trips to New York City to see plays and enjoy the city with their good friends Mary Ann and Klaus Saegebarth. In his later years, Ben was very active at the Newark, DE Senior Center and the University of Delaware Academy of Lifelong Learning. He was a warm and compassionate man, who never met a stranger.

Ben was predeceased by his parents and his wife, Mary. He is survived by a sister, Eleanor D. Cowley, three sisters-in-law, Joan Callahan, Nancy Wyatt, and Suella Cantrell, a brother-in-law, Maurice Cantrell, a daughter, Attorney Stacey D. Cowley, a son, Dr. Benjamin D. Cowley, Jr., a daughter-in-law, Dr. Nicole R. Cossaart, and a granddaughter, Olivia Nicole Cowley.

A memorial service will be held at the Perryville Presbyterian Church, 710 Broad Street, Perryville, MD on September 15, 2012 at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, Ben requested that donations be made to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation at www.pkdcure.org or send c/o R.T. Foard and Jones Funeral Home.