David Ballantyne Rowley

David Ballantyne Rowley, a resident of Porter Beach, Indiana, passed away peacefully at his family’s lakeside home on May 30, 2024. In March, he celebrated his 70th birthday alongside his family as they took in the solar eclipse. Born on March 14, 1954 in Washington, D.C., David was the second of four sons of accomplished scientists Janet D. Rowley and Donald A. Rowley. He grew up in Hyde Park, near the University of Chicago, which would prove to be his academic and professional home. Steeped in the countercultural ethos of the 1960s, throughout his life David maintained a low tolerance for prescriptive and parochial value systems. He took every opportunity to question the status quo whenever he perceived injustice or arbitrary exertion of control. David’s early education followed a roundabout path, including time at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and the New Experimental College in Skyum Bjerge, Denmark. David graduated from Denison University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in geology from SUNY Albany. He joined UChicago’s geophysical sciences research faculty in 1993 and became a tenured professor in 2000. He served as chair of the geophysical sciences department, editor of the Journal of Geology, and as mentor and advisor to countless students throughout his 31-year teaching career at the university. As a research geologist, David’s scientific work sought to understand the deep history and constant motion of Earth’s tectonic plates. He made significant contributions to the fields of paleogeography, paleoaltimetry, the formation of the Himalaya-Tibet Plateau, and the central role of heat from Earth’s core in driving tectonic movement. David’s work earned him recognition from the American Geophysical Union, where he was named a Fellow in 2018. David was a dedicated father to four children. He raised Jason, Jenny, and Gia in a quiet suburb of Chicago with his first wife, Renee. He treated Molly Petchenik—daughter of his second wife, Nancy Joseph—as one of his own. Highlights of his family life include adventurous family travel, celebrations at great restaurants, and weekends at the family house in the Indiana Dunes. He treasured every moment he spent with his family. The feeling is mutual. David’s passions went beyond the intellectual. He loved spending time on the water, and was a gifted sailor throughout his life. Every spring, he looked forward to his first chance to sail out to the horizon and back to the beach on the family’s Hobie Cat. He also leaves behind a squad of his “hockey buddies” with whom he played on most Tuesday and Thursday evenings for the past 25 years. He was an avid golfer, and insisted on walking the whole course. Many evenings, David could be found tossing a ball on the beach with his devoted dog, Essie, before returning home to watch the sun set over Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. David’s death was preceded by those of his parents, Donald and Janet, and his brothers, Don and Robert. He is survived by wife Nancy; children Jason, Jenny, and Gia, and their mother, Renee; step-daughter Molly; brother Roger; sister-in-law Carise; and niece and nephew Anra and Ian. David had an abiding love for the Indiana Dunes: both its community and its spectacular natural surroundings. In lieu of flowers, the family is encouraging donations be made to Friends of the Indiana Dunes (https://dunefriends.org/) and Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (https://glsrp.org/). Friends and family will gather to remember David at the Florentine Stairs on Porter Beach on Friday, June 7, at 2pm, and will begin sharing memories at 2:30pm. Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-370-2959 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com.

David Ballantyne Rowley

March 14, 1954 - May 30, 2024