Reverend Thomas Martin Dowd, of Denver, formerly of Grand Island, passed away peacefully Monday, January 3, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10 with a Vigil Service at 7 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church with Bishop William Dendinger officiating, 518 W. State Street, Grand Island, Nebraska. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 am Wednesday, Jan. 11 at St. Mary's Cathedral with Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt officiating with the Priests of the Grand Island Diocese concelebrating, 112 S. Cedar St., Grand Island, Nebraska. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Grand Island City Cemetery with Full Military Honors.

Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.livson.com.

Rev. Thomas Martin Dowd was born in Spalding, Nebraska on March 16, 1927 to Michael J. Dowd and Agatha Pritchard Dowd. He was one of seven children. His early education through high school was at St. Mary's Cathedral in Grand Island, Nebraska. He proudly enlisted in the Navy in 1945, serving one year. After leaving the military, he was trained in St. Thomas Seminary (now St. John Vianney Theological Seminary) and was ordained May 1, 1954, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Father Dowd spent the beginning of his ministry as a pastor at parishes and a civilian chaplain for the Sioux Army Depot in Sidney, NE. He did missionary work in Peru from 1964 to 1970 where he became fluent in Spanish and developed a love for all Hispanic culture.

After returning for a short stint as a chaplain at a Nebraska hospital, Father Dowd ministered to migrant workers in Wattenberg and Fort Lupton, Colorado.

Father Tom may be most known for his work at St. Patrick Parish in Denver. Described as a "personable Irishman," he was sent to begin restoring the church and its dwindling congregation in 1973. Father Dowd oversaw an interior and exterior restoration of the church and in 1997 the church achieved a landmark designation by the city. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since leaving the parish in 1983, Father Dowd served as a facilitator between Latin America and the United States for four years. In 1984, he began work with the National RENEW team. In 1988, he became the director of Hispanic Ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma, until his retirement in 1993. 1993 to the present found Father Tom ministering to many. At Stout Street Foundation he served those struggling with addiction, he celebrated Mass at Our Lady of the Canyon and reached out to any and all who needed him.

The family thanks all those parishioners and friends who lovingly took care of Father Tom in the later years of his life, allowing him to stay in Denver and view, from his window, the mountains he so loved. Father Tom was predeceased by his parents and siblings Frank, Dick, Jim, Jack, Mike and Eileen Dowd Ganser. He is survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and the enormous amount of friends, parishioners and people he served, who were his lifetime family.

He told us to remember his favorite saying from the movie "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" -
"Everything works out in the end so if it's not alright- it's not the end" We know for Father Tom it is just the beginning.

In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to:

Priests Pensions Fund C/O Bishop of Grand Island 2708 Old Fair Road
P.O. Box 1531
Grand Island, Nebraska 68802

Central Catholic High School
1200 Ruby Ave.,
Grand Island, NE 68802.