Who Was Tommy Cowan? Prominent Buffalo Restaurateur Dies At 44
who was tommy cowan? prominent buffalo restaurateur, owner of doc sullivan’s and forty thieves dies at 44
Tommy Cowan, a prominent figure in the Buffalo restaurant scene who owned South Buffalo’s Doc Sullivan’s and Forty Thieves in the Elmwood Village, passed away unexpectedly on May 6, his family confirmed. He was 44 years old.
Cowan, who was born and raised in South Buffalo, started off young working at some franchise locations, then moved on to SoHo and built City Tavern, according to his obituary. He even opened a gourmet hot dog stand downtown. Apart from owning Doc Sullivan’s and Forty Thieves, he is also the partial owner of Patrick’s Rooftop in downtown Buffalo.
Cowan was raised by his parents, Tom and Libby Sciandra Cowan, according to his obituary. He has two sisters, Erin (Brian) McElroy and Kristen (Patrick) Lalley. He was also a beloved uncle, fondly referred to as “Funcle” by his nieces and nephews, Anna, Maddie, Andrew and Aidan.
“Tommy was the light of our lives, the most generous kind-hearted guy you could ever meet. He will always be the best guy we know,” Tommy’s mother and sister told 7 News.
“Tommy was one of the most caring and generous people you could ever meet. At Tommy’s table everyone was welcome,” his obituary stated.
A wake for Cowan will be held at the Cannan Funeral Home in Orchard Park on Thursday, May 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. A special service celebrating Cowan’s life will be held at Our Lady of Victory Basilica on Friday, May 10, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Tommy’s memory to Feed More WNY, a local charity organization.