Alan L. Dow

Alan Lothian Dow, Jr. (better known to friends and family as “Big Al”), 71, of Gillette, Wyoming passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, Wyoming, after battling several years of health issues. He spent the last two years of his life living at Shepherd of the Valley Rehabilitation Center in Casper. He so desperately wanted to go home, but God had other plans. He made many wonderful friends during his time at Shepherd and made sure to give the nurses a lot of grief.

Al was born on January 12, 1953, to Alan L. Dow Sr. and Stella (Juroshek) Dow in Sheridan, Wyoming. He was the firstborn, and his two sisters later followed. The family spent the early years of his childhood living in Rawlins, Thermopolis, and Pinedale due to his father’s career with the Wyoming Game and Fish. Alan spent many summers with his dad, sisters, and friends stacking hay around the state. He learned to love the Wyoming outdoors from his father, where he enjoyed hunting, fishing, dirt biking, and snowmobiling in the Wind Rivers and the Big Horn Mountains. A fond memory for Alan was enjoying his mother’s home cooking.

The Dow family returned to Big Horn, Wyoming, when Al was in junior high. This is where he finished his education, graduating from Big Horn High School in 1971. The nickname “Big Al” came from his stature, as he stood at 6’ 8”, and his size could be intimidating. He played basketball and football and was an accomplished athlete. He attended college at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN, on a basketball scholarship and then transferred to Sheridan College, where he finished his basketball career and majored in Liberal Arts.

He married Shelley Peterson, of Sheridan, in 1976, and from that union came his only son, Lucas, in 1980. While living in Sheridan, Al had a career with Frito Lay and later Metz Beverage. The couple divorced in 1982, and Al moved to Gillette, where he continued working for Metz Beverage for many years. He later married Marie Coleman in 1994, and they divorced in 1999. He then made a career change in the early 2000s and became a car salesman with Energy Dodge, Great Western Auto Brokers, and White’s Mountain Motors, where he retired in 2016. He established a loyal customer base due to the relationships and trust he built with people.

Al was ornery, had a big personality, and quite the sense of humor. He always had a good story or joke to share. He loved making others smile and laugh, leaving an impact on all who crossed his path. He was a people person and spent much of his free time refereeing basketball. If you played basketball in Wyoming in the 80s or 90s, it’s likely that “Big Al” refereed one of your games. He was a respected basketball official and traveled the state to officiate everything from 1A-4A. For over a decade, Al was voted in by coaches to officiate the State Basketball tournaments and developed numerous friendships across Wyoming.

Al enjoyed riding motorcycles, tinkering on dirt bikes, fishing, collecting Winchester rifles, watching Westerns and Law & Order, frequenting the car wash, and socializing with friends. Some of his favorite fishing spots were Lake DeSmet and Kearney Lake. He was very proud of his grandsons and was known to give them $2 bills and handfuls of candy every time he saw them.

Al had a deep love of Big Horn, Wyoming, where some of his best childhood memories were spent growing up at the base of the Big Horn Mountains. He was proud of his family origin and made sure his grandsons knew the Dows were pioneers of the area. He often told stories of his family ancestry, which is still on display in the Bozeman Trail Museum along with his great-great-great grandfather, Jack Dow’s, surveying equipment. He shared his love of the Big Horns with Lucas by teaching him how to ride motorcycles up Red Grade & Penrose Trail. They also spent a lot of time at Park Reservoir and Little Goose Canyon. Alan showed his grandsons “Dow Street” in Sheridan and shared the story of Jack Dow, one of the first surveyors of Sheridan. The street name serves as a legacy for the family.

Cremation has taken place. Al’s ashes will be spread at Lake DeSmet, Kearney Lake, and a small urn will be buried next to his father at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Big Horn, WY, at a later date. Al was saved and baptized at Roadway Alliance Church in Gillette and is now pain-free and rejoicing in heaven with his Lord & Savior.

Al is survived by his son Lucas (Cinnamon) Dow of Sheridan/Casper, WY; two sisters, Aleta Dow of Clark, WY, and Audrey Carpenter of Clark, WY; three grandsons, Corbin Dow, Cooper Dow, and Camden Dow, all of Casper, WY; niece Amber Clearwater of Sheridan, WY; and nephew August Dow of Powell, WY. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alan Dow Sr. and Stella Dow, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A Celebration of Life to honor Alan Dow will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, November 25, at First Baptist Church, 3179 Big Horn Avenue, Sheridan, WY. A reception with coffee & desserts will be held at the church after the ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, a “Big Al Memorial Fund” is being set up to provide scholarships for new basketball referees in Wyoming to purchase officiating equipment. Donations can be made to Lucas Dow at 1920 Elkhorn Valley Drive, Casper, WY 82609.

To send condolences or share a story with the family, please visit newcomercasper.com or post on Alan Dow’s Facebook page for the family to read.