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- Press-Republican (Plattsburgh, NY
December 15, 2014
PLATTSBURGH - Rob Haskell McDowell, 63, of Plattsburgh, died on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014, at CVPH after a yearlong battle with renal carcinoma. He was born on May 10, 1951 in Hanover, N.H., the son of David B. and Mary (Haskell) McDowell.
Rob married Janet Newbegin Stafford of Plattsburgh on September 2, 1983.
Rob had a long and significant relationship with sailing on Lake Champlain. He owned and operated sail lofts in Winooski, Vt. and Plattsburgh, N.Y., and from an early age he raced on winning boats in the Valcour Sailing Club. In 1986 Rob skippered Chasouarou II to victory in the Mayors Cup. He was passionate and knowledgeable about the virtues of hull and sail design and how to make a vessel go as fast as it should, and nearly everyday he sketched a boat on graph paper.
Rob was a patient teacher who could concisely explain the essentials of how things work, and his family benefited from his love and understanding of cooking, conservation, boats, agriculture, and all things mechanical.
Rob was the former chairman of the Lake Champlain Grape Growers Association, and he enjoyed sharing his expertise (and grapes) with other viticulturalists in the North Country.
Ever the provocateur, Rob relished playing the devils advocate and challenging friends and family to look at the other side of an issue or debate. He will be remembered for his non-conformity, his deep love of family, his aesthetic integrity, his way around a boat, his affection for his dogs, his sarcastic wit, and his quicksilver mind.
Rob is survived by his wife, Janet McDowell, son David of Plattsburgh, Damian Stafford and his wife Becky of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Brooke Stafford Brizard and her husband Jean-Claude Brizard of Washington, D.C. Parker Stafford and his wife Jamie of Saratoga Springs, and five grandchildren, Nyah, Silas, and Emile Brizard, Lander Stafford, and Sydney Stafford. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in law Bill and Britt-Marie McDowell of Plattsburgh, his sister and brother-in-law Kate McDowell and Dave Rider of Burlington, Vt., and several nieces and nephews.
Mr. McDowell was predeceased by his brother, David D. McDowell, and his parents.
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1951 - 2014 (63 years)
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