Paul David Cowden

Paul David Cowden, 67, of Mount Sterling, Kentucky, passed away on September 23, 2012. He was born August 29, 1945 in New York, New York and was the son of Barbara Cowden and the late Bill Cowden.

Paul moved to Mount Sterling after graduating from Williams College in 1967 and Vanderbilt University Law School in 1970. He started his career in private practice with his partners, Clay, Marye, Cowden & Williamson and then became Montgomery County Attorney in 1978 where he served until retirement in 2006. Paul was admitted to practice before the state courts of Kentucky and Tennessee, United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, the United States (Sixth Circuit) Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Paul was the President of the Kentucky County Attorneys Association from 1993-1995. He was twice named County Attorney of the Year by the Kentucky Attorney General. Paul served on the National District Attorneys Association Board of Directors for ten years and was an instructor at the Kentucky Prosecutors Institute.

Paul was on the Mary Chiles Hospital Board of Directors from 1981-2006, where he served several terms as Chairman of the Board. He further served as Legal Counsel and Ex-Officio Member of the Mount Sterling-Montgomery County Industrial Authority from 1989-2006. He was a member of Church of the Ascension, Mount Sterling, Kentucky, serving numerous terms on the vestry. Paul was a member of the Mount Sterling Rotary Club, where he was President from 1993-1994 and was named a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. Paul served on the Board of Directors of Community Trust Bank for 35 years and was named Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 2007 by the Mount Sterling-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.

Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Suzanne "Suzi" Spalding Cowden of Mount Sterling; two daughters, Kelley Rehm Cowden of Lexington and Lucy Spalding Cowden of Louisville; two brothers, Bruce Cowden (Diane) and Roger Cowden (Barbara Bailey) both of Lexington; one sister-in-law, Sarah Cowden of Lexington; one brother-in-law, Haydon Spalding of Bardstown; three nephews, Clark Cowden and Lee Cowden, both of Lexington, and Ben Spalding of Scottsdale, Arizona; five nieces, Ann Cowden and Courtney Cowden, both of Lexington, Sallie Walsh (Chris) of Louisville, Kelley Bell (Tony) of Independence and Mary Hepditch (Scott) of Louisville.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by one brother, Jay Cowden.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Church of the Ascension, the Gateway Regional Arts Center or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, Mount Sterling, Kentucky with a visitation/reception following at the Clay Community Center.

Visitation

/Reception immediately following service at the Clay Community Center
Mount Sterling, Kentucky

Funeral

Memorial Service, Thursday, September 27, 2012
1:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church
Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Rev. Cindy Duffus and Father Norman Fischer officiating