Brian Joseph Dowd

Brian Joseph Dowd, 68, passed away on June 21, 2023. He was born on March 7, 1955, in Buffalo, New York to Mary (née Kelly) and Thomas Dowd. A visitation will be held Monday, June 26, 2023 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm, with a rosary to follow, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will take place at the Basilica of St. John’s in Des Moines on Tuesday, June 27 at 10:00 am. Burial will take place at 3:00 pm following the Mass at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Imogene, IA.

After graduating from Amherst High School in 1972, Brian attended Oswego State University of New York, and graduated in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology. After college, he took a job as a weather data processor in Newark, OH. He was hired at the National Weather Service in Chicago, which led to a transfer to Des Moines in 1982. Brian graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from Drake University Law School in 1992. He primarily practiced Social Security - Disability law for 31 years, and was passionate about fighting for justice for the marginalized, oppressed, and the unborn. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, and the board president of Iowa Right to Life.

Brian met the love of his life, Theresa McDonald, in 1983, and made her his wife on May 19, 1984. They spent 40 happy years together with their six children, beautiful grandchildren, and their mutual love for travel, music, and adventure.

Brian was known for his unshakeable Catholic faith, his love for history, music, genealogy, learning languages, reading, documentaries, comedy shows, and most of all, travel.

Brian was always up for an adventure, whether it was a months-long bus trip around the country in high school, hiking mountains, biking all around the US and Ireland, or hitchhiking in Canada and Mexico. He jumped at any chance to go on a cross-country road trip to visit friends, to take a vacation, to visit another country, or just to drive to the grocery store. He studied German, and studied abroad in Germany when he was 13, and again at 15, which he credited with drawing him out of his shell in his teen years.

He loved to search for distant relatives in his ancestral home of Ireland. A family trip to Ireland in 2019 included a visit to his second cousin who owns a butcher shop in Dingle. His most recent solo excursion was to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, also in 2019. He shared a video of his paragliding adventure in Rio to anyone who would watch it.

Brian is also fondly remembered for energetically leading classic Irish songs for the family’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party, which he began 45 years ago, and enjoyed singing karaoke with family and friends.

Brian is survived by his wife, Theresa; his children, Bridget (Seth) Goldstein of Baltimore, MD, Tom (Skyler) Dowd of Austin, TX, Danny (Sarah) Dowd of Ankeny, Mary (Alex) Fleming of Urbandale, Michael Dowd of West Des Moines, and Lizzy Dowd (Adam Ullerich) of Des Moines, IA; his grandchildren, Stella Goldstein, Eliza Dowd, Emmett Ullerich, and an unborn baby girl Dowd; his brothers, Tom Dowd (Mary), and Mike Dowd (Leslie), his sister, Mary Ann Dowd, his brothers-in-law, Jerry (Anne) McDonald, Pat (Mary) McDonald; and many beloved nieces, nephews, godchildren and lifelong friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jean Dowd, and his brother-in-law Mike Harrington.

Brian drew inspiration from a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: “The day may come when the courage of men fails, but today is not that day. Today we fight.” Brian’s courage and grace through his fight against brain cancer has inspired many, and his steadfast pursuit of his convictions are an example we can all learn from.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests giving to the Iowa Right to Life Committee Education Fund, 1450 E 33rd St, Des Moines, IA 50317, or to the National Brain Tumor Society at nbtsevents.braintumor.org/BrianDowd.

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