He was born Aug. 4, 1935, in Great Falls, Montana to Alice Valeria (Hurley) and Harold Ray Rowberry. He graduated from McCook Senior High School in 1954. He attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for two years where he was in the ROTC program. He went to Memphis, Tennessee while serving in the U.S. Navy to study electronics.

While in Memphis he met his first wife, Peggy. They married in 1959, and had three children. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1962-66. From 1966-71, he worked at the Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, working on special classified projects. He transferred to the Federal Aviation Administration in Memphis where he worked for 31 years, retiring as operations manager.

John married his second wife, Jan, in 1989, acquiring another daughter, Leigh Ann, from this marriage.

Surviving him were his wife, Jan; sons, Thomas and wife, Debby of Memphis, Timothy and wife, Petra of Germany; daughter, Terri of Memphis; step-daughter, Leigh Ann and husband, Michael Ryan of Memphis; sister, Charlotte Meints of Oberlin, Kansas; half-sister, Susan Davis of Butte, Montana; and former wife, Peggy Rowberry of Memphis; four grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.

Services were Sept. 10, 2010, at Memphis Funeral Home with the Rev. Martin of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, officiating.