Michael Rowlands

Michael B. Rowlands, 72, of Geneseo, Illinois, died Friday, September 25, 2020, in his home of lung cancer.

A rosary will be recited at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, October 2, in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home, 701 12th Street, Moline. Visitation will follow from 4 - 7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be held at 11:30am, Saturday, October 3, at St. Malachy Catholic Church, 595 East Ogden Avenue, Geneseo, with Frs. Daniel Gifford and Michael Pakula concelebrating. Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory. Guests will be limited to 50 at one time at the funeral home and 200 at one time at the church, and masks and social distancing are required at all events. Memorials may be made to the Paraclete Fund at St. Malachy School or Geneseo Animal Shelter.

Michael Bruce Rowlands was born July 24, 1948, in Chicago to Dr. Owen B. and Lillian (Drost) Rowlands. He graduated from UTHS in 1967, attended the University of Illinois as a James Scholar and Illinois State Scholar; and graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Geology. He also did post graduate studies in Geology at Utah State University. He was a rural route mail carrier for the East Moline Post Office for 42 years, retiring in 2015. He married Victoria Cassel on April 7, 1984, in Moline.

He was a member of St. Malachy Church for 25 years and on the Parish Council, former president of Christian Family Movement, and active in Cursillo and TEC. He loved astronomy and subscribed to “Sky and Telescope” magazine for the past 40 years. He was an avid non-fiction reader, enjoyed chess and golf, and had a hole-in-one on hole #7 at Country View Golf Course. Mike never had an enemy, had a strong faith in God, and was proud of his children and grandchildren.

Mike is survived by his wife, Vicki; three children, Joshua Rowlands of Effingham, Illinois, Emily Rowlands of Denver, Colorado, and Christian Rowlands (Erika) of Huntersville, North Carolina; three step-children, Robert Larson (Ellie) of Coal Valley, Eric Larson of Silvis, and Andrew Larson of Moline; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and siblings, Roberta Rowlands (Allan Haley) of Nevada City, California, Craig Rowlands (Janice) of Geneseo, Owen Dana Rowlands (Wendy) of Pueblo West, Colorado, and Scott Rowlands (Margie) of Silvis.

Friends are invited to leave memories of Mike or send condolences to the family at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.