Dr. Mowery was born June 5, 1923, in Salina. He was a surgeon and physician at Mowery Clinic, Salina. He was a graduate of Salina High School in 1941 and the University of Kansas Medical School in 1947, where he participated in the V12 Accelerated Military Medical Program. He was an intern from 1947-48 at St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., and resident at Wichita Veterans Hospital from 1948-49. He served his surgical residency at George Washington University Hospital, Washington, D.C., from 1949-51; served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp, Frankfurt, Germany, from 1951-52, during the Korean War; then returned to finish his surgical residency as chief resident at George Washington in 1952. He returned to Salina in 1955 to join the Mowery Clinic, established by his father, William E. Mowery Sr., on West Iron Street and in 1958 was instrumental in the present Mowery Clinic move to Crawford Street. He was a past president of the Kansas State Medical Society, St. John's Hospital Medical Staff president and former member of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts.

He was a member of First Presbyterian Church and Salina Rotary Club, was a former Salina YMCA director and president, helping to establish the first YMCA fitness center. He was a board member of the National Bank of America. He was a Kansas University football team fullback and held the record for the longest run from scrimmage, until it was broken by Gayle Sayers. He was a member of Beta Theta Phi Fraternity and was a KU Athletic Department board member.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Mildred Exline and Vera McAnnich; and his parents, William E. Mowery Sr. and the former Kate Crawford.

Survivors include his wife, Sandy of the home; a son, William E. "Trey" Mowery III of Salina; two stepsons, Jeffrey Brent Rice of Salina and Fredrick Dean Rice of Wichita; a sister, Jean Stevens and husband Vernon of Salina; and a brother-in-law, Leroy McAnnich of Salina.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church, Salina, the Rev. Tom Reid officiating. Burial will be in Gypsum Hill Cemetery, Salina.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are encouraged to be made to Salina Regional Health Foundation.