John Rowse, 1943–2018
/John Rowse, the founder of Boston Building Resources, died on March 29. He was 74.
1990 photo courtesy of the Boston Herald
A genuine visionary, John founded the Boston Building Materials Co-op in 1978 and co-founded the nonprofit Reuse Center in 1993. He went on to start a third organization, Community Boat Building, in the last decade of his life.
John was trained as an architect and had a passion for sharing his knowledge with other homeowners, especially those with fewer financial resources, so that they could take good care of their homes. In a 1990 Boston Herald article about the Co-op, he stated that “the ultimate goal is not profit, but helping people solve their housing problems.” John’s contributions to the organization were extensive, from designing the Co-op building to drawing the original “three houses” logo.
A celebration of John’s life will be held on Saturday, June 2, his 75th birthday. Further information will be posted as it becomes available.