William Dowd

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William C. (Bill) Dowd, 79, Pleasant Hill, MO, was born March 8, 1928 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of Lawrence and Mary (Firth) Dowd. He passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at Research Medical Center, Kansas City.

Bill enlisted in the Army in July 1948. After training in radio school he spent most of his tour in Okinawa. Following discharge in 1952, he was employed by the CIA, in January 1954. During his career with the CIA he was assigned to Nicosia, Cyprus; Panama City, Panama; Saigon, Vietnam; Rangoon, Burma; Khartoum, Sudan; Lagos, Nigeria and back to Saigon in 1973. He married Shirley, who was also an employee of the CIA, on May 14, 1965; she then accompanied him on the latter 5 overseas assignments. He retired from the CIA in July 1975 and settled in Lee's Summit, MO, where he and Shirley raised horses. In 1984, they bought a farm in Southeastern Jackson County and raised Angus cattle until 2002, after which the property was rented. Bill & Shirley moved to Pleasant Hill in 2005. He is survived by his wife Shirley of the home; 2 daughters, Deborah Canuso, of Philadelphia, PA, and Kathleen Hughes of Horsham, PA; a sister Mary Gounder, of Mohnton, PA; and 1 granddaughter.

A memorial service was held Friday, May 11, 2007, at the Stanley-Dickey Funeral Home, Pleasant Hill. Private burial of ashes will be held at a later date in Memorial Park Cemetery, Sedalia, MO.

Memorial contributions are suggested to be made to the Pleasant Hill Meals on Wheels, and may be sent in care of Stanley-Dickey Funeral Home, 203 N. Armstrong, Pleasant Hill, Missouri 64080