David G. Rowland passed away peacefully with Edith, his wife of 57 years, by his side on Oct. 18 at Paoli Hospital. He was 90 years old.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Mr. Rowland grew up in Drexel Hill and attended the Haverford School. A U.S. Army veteran, he served overseas in Germany in the 1950s.
Mr. Rowland was a prolific residential and commercial designer and planner in the Delaware Valley from the 1960s through the 2000s. A pioneer of the modern townhouse development in the region, he won numerous awards over his long career. He was known for his timeless aesthetic and focused efforts to preserve the integrity of the natural landscape with existing trees and other features. His more notable work includes the Hermitage in Bryn Mawr, Sugar Knoll in Devon, Oak Knoll in Daylesford, Cricket Square in Ardmore, and Paoli Woods, Woodgate and Foxwood in Paoli. He also designed numerous Wawa stores prior to the company bringing its architectural services in house. The unique custom homes he conceived for his own family in Charlestown Township, Paoli and Avalon, N.J., may have been his most cherished accomplishments.
An adjunct professor at Villanova University, Mr. Rowland was actively involved in the Paoli Business & Professional Association and worked with planners on the town’s most recent redevelopment efforts. A lover of the performing arts, he was a member of the Chester County Choral Society and various other choirs and vocal groups. He also loved racquet sports, playing tennis and paddle tennis into his 80s.
A loving husband, father, grandfather and uncle and an exceedingly kind soul, Mr. Rowland is survived by his wife, Edith, two sons, Hobart and David, two daughters-in-law, Kimberly and Paige, and two grandchildren, Sophia and Kalen. He will be buried on Oct. 24 in a private ceremony at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Malvern.
Mr. Rowland was also a life-long animal lover. Donations in his memory can be made to the ASPCA.
Services and Interment will be private.
Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester, PA 610-696-1181; www.DellaFH.com.