Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

September 28, 2026

CHARLOTTE – Marion A. Cowell Jr. passed away on September 28, 2026, after several years of declining health. He was 91, and if ever a man filled his life with meaning it was Marion. Husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, longtime executive at First Union (now Wells Fargo), lawyer, ardent supporter of UNC-Chapel Hill, champion of those in need, and proud democrat.

Marion was born on Christmas Day 1934 in Wilmington, son of Marion Aubrey Sr. and Alice Saunders Hargett Cowell. He grew up in Jacksonville in eastern North Carolina, where he earned the nickname (and term of endearment) that stuck with him for life: Boby (also Bobie).  After graduating from Darlington School in Rome, Ga., in 1953, his allegiance to UNC-Chapel Hill took root. He earned his B.S. degree in Business Administration in 1958 and then his juris doctorate in 1964 from UNC School of Law, where he served on the UNC Law Review Board of Editors. At Carolina, he also belonged to Sigma Chi social fraternity and was a member of the Student Legislature. Armed with two Carolina degrees, he began his distinguished careers in banking and the law.

He practiced law in Durham, NC, from 1964-72, then served for six years as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for First Union Mortgage Corp. in Raleigh, NC, then known as Cameron-Brown Company, a subsidiary of First Union Corporation.  In 1978, he was named General Counsel for First Union Corp. and First Union National Bank of North Carolina.  In all, he worked with First Union for 27 years, retiring in 1999 as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.  On his retirement from First Union, Marion joined the law firm of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP as Counsel in its Charlotte office.  (Now Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, LLP.)  He served as Of Counsel with the firm until 2022.

 His life was blessed by the love of his wife, Norma Hearne Cowell. They met on a blind date in Charlotte in 1983 and were married on October 24, 1987. Their union brought together her four children and his two children from previous marriages. They found such joy in their 32 years together, and in blended family. Norma, a Realtor for more than 30 years, passed away on Oct. 6, 2019, at age 80. She was loved and cared for until the end by her devoted husband.

 Marion is survived by his two children – Lindsay Grey Cowell and Mark Pettiway Cowell, and by his two granddaughters, Emery Cowell Boatman, her husband Brock Boatman, and their son Asher Alton Boatman; and Bergen Sierra Cowell, all of Dallas, Texas, whom he adored.  And by Norma’s four children whom he loved as his own – Kathryn Shannonhouse Huffman of Asheville, Mary Shannonhouse Whisnant and her husband, Joseph Carpenter Whisnant of Charlotte, Elizabeth Moore Shannonhouse of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Graham Woodard Shannonhouse and her wife, Suzanne Muriel Crowell, of Asheville.  And Norma’s granddaughters – Mary Robbins Whisnant, Lillian Elise Moore Huffman, Frances Graham Huffman, Alice Hearne Whisnant, and Margaret Crowell Rogers, her husband Robert Thornton Rogers, and their daughter Adeline Graham Rogers, also whom he loved as his own. Marion is also survived by his niece, Leslie Cowell of Daniel Island, South Carolina.  His brother, Gene Hargett Cowell, preceded him in death.

Marion filled his life with an astonishing level of service.   He was active in the legal community as a member of the N.C. State Bar, N.C. Bar Association, Mecklenburg County Bar and as a fellow with both the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and American Bar Foundation. With the N.C. Bar Association, he served on the Board of Governors from 1992-95. From 2004-06, he was president of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation. He served with distinction as a chair or member of many committees for both associations, among them Endowment, Corporate Counsel, Nominations, and Pro Bono Planning. He also served on the board of the N.C. State Bar Plan for Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and served on the N.C. Chief Justice’s Commission for Access to Justice.

His service to the legal community did not go unnoticed. In 1998, he received the National Public Service Award from the American Bar Association Section of Business Law. In 1999, he was honored with a Presidential Award from the N.C. Association of Black Lawyers for work in support of the N.C. Minority Counsel Program. Also, in 1999, he earned the Judge Lois Forer Child Advocacy Award from the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia.

His passions spanned many fields. He served on the Board of Directors and Executive, Investment and Litigation Committees of the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville, Va. He also served on the Board of Visitors for the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC Medical Center.

On behalf of the State of North Carolina, he served on the boards of both the Department of Transportation and the N.C. Railroad Company.

In Charlotte, he was a board member for the Charlotte Council on Chemical and Alcohol Dependency, The Art Institute, and while on the N.C. Board of Transportation he served on the Metropolitan Transit Committee (CATS), and the  Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO).  Additionally, he was a member of the Charlotte Country Club and the Piedmont Club.

In Chapel Hill, he was member of the Board of Visitors for UNC-Chapel Hill. He was also president of the UNC School of Law Alumni Association and a longtime member of its board.

His civic involvement helped make our communities better. In 2014, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Leadership Charlotte, an honor won by some of the city’s best and brightest over the years. The honor focused on his work organizing speakers, programs and mentorships – all free – for minority students, inspiring them to pursue a legal career. As his formal nomination put it, “This is just one example of how Marion has personally enriched and personally improved the quality of life in Charlotte through his commitment to serving the less fortunate in our community.”

Marion’s extensive support for UNC School of Law came from the heart. His generosity led to a law library endowment and board room both named for him. The Cowell Family Diversity Scholarship is helping generations of minority law students achieve their dream of becoming Carolina lawyers.  Over the years, he led or advised several fundraising campaigns, including the Carolina First Campaign that raised more than $32 million to support the law school, surpassing its $30 million goal. In 2007, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UNC Law Alumni Association. In 2015 he was recognized at the William Horn Battle Society Dinner with this tribute: “Marion’s career represents the best of what we do at Carolina – serving as a leader in the profession, among the Bar, and the greater community. In addition to having an exceptionally distinguished and accomplished career, Marion is one of the ‘good guys.’”

A service to celebrate the life of Marion Aubrey Cowell Jr. will be at 2:00 p.m., Monday, October 5, 2026, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Road in Charlotte. Visitation follows at the church.

In lieu of flowers those wishing to remember Marion are asked to consider a donation to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), 120 Garrett Street, Suite 400, Charlottesville, VA 22902; the Cowell Family Diversity Scholarship at the UNC School of Law, University of North Carolina, Campus Box 3382, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3382 or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, P. O. Box 414238, Boston, MA 02241-4238.

The family is deeply grateful for the love and care shown by Brenda Schenck, Marion’s long-time caregiver, and Via Partners nursing staff.

For a man of achievement and distinction, Marion relished the simple, joyful things in life. With Norma, he enjoyed world travel and the fellowship of many friends. He loved being out on the water, driving a boat. He enjoyed snow skiing. If the Tar Heels were playing, he was cheering. If you were fortunate enough to make his acquaintance, you’d made a friend. And in a lifetime that revolved around family, the evenings he spent at their second home on Figure Eight Island, watching the sun set over the sound with Norma at his side was a blessing beyond measure.   One of many.

This tribute would not be complete without special recognition going out to Nancy Skidmore who, for over 40 years, has been a special part of the Cowell family in so many ways. From the early days in the late 70’s when she became Marion’s secretary to later years when she assisted Norma through her health crisis, to recent years when she assisted Marion in countless ways. Words cannot express the magnitude of Marion and Norma’s appreciation for Nancy.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204. (704) 641-7606. You can share an online condolence at www.kennethpoeservices.com.