James George Kowalski

James G. Kowalski, 78, of Narragansett, RI, beloved husband and father, passed away on Monday, August 1, 2022. Born in Port Clinton, OH, Jim was preceded in death by his parents George and Josephine Kowalski, sister Janet Hockett, and brother Jack Kowalski. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ann, daughters Beth Kowalski and husband Jonathan Bloch, Meg Booth and husband Brandon Booth, Kate Kowalski and husband Eric LeCompte, and grandchildren Aidan, Isaac, Zoe, Eve, Emma, Jonah, Hannah and Jeremiah. Jim received a B.S., M.A. and PhD from the University of Notre Dame and joined the University of Rhode Island Philosophy department in 1971. After a year-long sabbatical in 1982 at Carnegie Mellon University to study artificial intelligence, he transitioned to the URI Department of Computer Science and Statistics where he stayed until his retirement in 2011 as department chair. Jim was a lifelong learner, consistently seeking new knowledge and experiences. He scuba-dived, climbed mountains, taught himself Spanish, dug up fossils in Wyoming and Ecuador, finished his second floor with the help of the Time-Life book series, became a glider pilot and bicycled many miles up and down the Narragansett coast. He was a gifted story teller, loved a good conversation and delighted in a game of bear trap with his grandchildren. Late in his life, he was diagnosed with VEXAS, a rare autoimmune disorder. He participated in a research study at The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland which led to the identification of the disease. Jim will be greatly missed by his family and friends. A mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 A.M., Monday August 8 at Christ the King Church, Kingston, Rhode Island.