William Grant Rowlands

William Grant (known as Grant by many) Rowlands, 80, passed away on February 27, 2023, at his home surrounded by his loving wife Diane and children. Born on July 4, 1942, in Hopewell, Virginia, he was the first son of the late Elmer and Helen Madden Rowlands.

He graduated from Bishop-Egan High School in 1961 in Levittown, PA . Grant was a star athlete and played defensive end for the very first football team at Bishop-Egan High School. He attended Rider College and got his Bachelors in Business. Grant married his High School sweetheart, Diane Conti on October 16, 1961. They had 3 children, William Rowlands, Raymond Rowlands, and Gina Rowlands Christy.

Grant was the youngest foreman at Patterson Parchment Paper Company. He went on to work for B.F. Goodridge, until he became a businessman and decided with his wife to open Bella Pizza on 413 in Bristol, PA and Bella Ristorante on Swamp Road in Newtown, PA.

Grant was a lifelong football fanatic, golf lover, and exercise enthusiast. He could always be found taking long walks in his hometown of New Hope, PA. He enjoyed the finer things in life such as soaking up sunshine at the beach with his family, tending to his plants, a good piece of chocolate, and scotch on the rocks. Most of all, his greatest joy in life was his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents Elmer and Helen Madden Rowlands, his grandson Grant Michael Rowlands, his brother Joseph Rowlands and his daughter-in-law Karen Heck Rowlands.

Grant is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Diane J Conti Rowlands, his sons William, Raymond and daughter-in-law Zuzana, and daughter Gina Rowlands Christy and son-in-law Jeffery Christy, and his 7 grandchildren Brittney, Phillip, Andrew, Kiertsen, Kaitlyn, Kayla and Stephanie and 3 great grandchildren, Ahnna, David and Barrett, and many nieces, nephews and cousins in which his memory will live on.

Family and friends are invited to gather Monday, March 6, 2023, from 10 – 11 am at St Ann Church, 357 Dorrance Street, Bristol, PA 19007.  Funeral Mass will begin at 11 am. Interment will be held private at Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741.

American Cancer Society