Lewis Cowardin

Lewis M Cowardin passed away 2-15-2025 at St Benedict’s Care Center in St Cloud, MN.  Lewis was born 7-30-1933 in Pittsfield, MA son of Samuel P. Cowardin Jr and Ruth (Brown) Cowardin.  He grew up in Southborough, MA attending St. Mark’s School.  He graduated from Harvard University in 1956.  Lewis married Eustis (Barber) Cowardin 6-23-1956.  He served in the US Army from 1956-58.  Thereafter he received a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and a PhD in wildlife biology from Cornell University.  The family moved to Jamestown, ND in 1965 where he worked his entire 30 year career for the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center under the USFWS and the USGS.  He and colleagues wrote the Wetlands Classification System for the US.  He was well respected for his research and contributions to waterfowl biology in habitat management, remote sensing, aerial photography, predictive models for waterfowl population, and wetlands classification authoring over 55 scientific articles.  Lewis received the US Dept. of the Interior Secretary’s Stewardship Award of Science and Technology in 1992, the North Dakota Professional award from the ND Chapter of the Wildlife Society in 1995, and an award from Ducks Unlimited for his scientific contributions to waterfowl management.  He was a longtime youth hockey coach, helped start youth hockey in Jamestown, was a 1996 inductee into the ND Amateur Hockey Hall of Fame, and enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren play hockey.  Throughout his life he enjoyed fishing, hunting with his labs over decoys, making his own decoys, gardening, researching ancestry, woodworking, playing music (guitar, banjo, autoharp) and building instruments.  Dedication to curiosity, education, nature, truth, and family were paramount for him. His family wishes to thank his health care team at St. Benedict’s Care Center in St Cloud, MN.  He was preceded in death by his loving wife Eustis (Barber), and revered siblings Samuel P Cowardin III and Camilla A Cowardin. He is survived by his daughter Nancy Cowardin; sons John (Michelle), Ted, and William (Pam) Cowardin; grandchildren Braden Altena, David and Kathryn Cowardin; and 3 great grandchildren Rachel, Penn, and Leo.

A celebration of life is being planned for summer this year.  Memorials may be directed to The Wildlife Society (www.wildlife.org).