Jamaica Plain resident John Rowse, the founder of Boston Building Resources, died on March 29. He was 74.
Courtesy Boston Building Resources
This photo from 1991 shows John Rowse in front of the newly constructed Co-op building.
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.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that John Rowse, CBB’s founder, original teacher and avid advocate passed away...
Posted by Community Boat Building on Thursday, March 29, 2018
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.
This obituary was originally published on the Boston Building Resources website and has been published on Jamaica Plain News with permission.