On Sunday, May 20th, 2018, Gary Douglas Lowe passed away peacefully in his home in LaGrange, Georgia, surrounded by family.

He was born on June 18th, 1942 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The only son of John “Wayne” and Selma Lowe, Gary spent his youth farming, riding horses, and singing in the local Lutheran church choir. Upon graduating from Lyons High School in 1960, Gary joined the Navy and then attended the University of Colorado where he earned his Bachelors of Arts degree. Those that knew him well will recall a few pauses on the way to his degree which led to some of his most entertaining stories.

Gary’s life was defined by his affection for travel, food, art, music, and adventure. He had stories about working for the Egyptian Consulate, hanging with celebrities at the Tiburon Lodge, and turning down the opportunity to make an album for a now infamous artist. Since meeting his wife Dianne Friend in 1972, those adventures continued from their wedding in Carson City, Nevada, to serving as the West Coast Commissioner for the revival of Women’s Roller Derby in the late ‘70s.

A prodigious reader, he could capably discuss many genres of literature, especially fantasy and science fiction. He loved and collected books and films and could always be counted on for an in-depth conversation about anything from history to current events. Gary was a committed fan of the Denver Broncos and was elated at their last Super Bowl victory in 2015.

His greatest love, however, was his family, whom he led and then followed across seven different states. After Dianne’s passing, he moved to Lafayette, Louisiana to be closer to his daughter and his grandchildren. After some time living in Florida, he joined her again, in LaGrange, Georgia, where he enjoyed reading and catching up with his many friends on his covered porch. He traveled as often as possible to see his sons and grandchildren on the East Coast, and visited New York, Jamaica, St. Maarten and Puerto Rico with them in recent years.

Gary is survived by his daughter, Kristina Thurman, her husband, Justin, and their two children, Calder Eliot and Herra Dianne, of LaGrange, Georgia; his eldest son, Jonathan Lowe and his wife, Katina Varzos, and their two children, Eliot Nicholas and Colette Dianne, of Guilford, Connecticut; and his youngest son, Nicholas Lowe, of Reno, Nevada. Gary has a large and loving extended family including cousins Sharon Badra, Joyce Becker and Renee Roth, and his late wife’s brothers, Damien and Stephen Friend; her sisters Lisa Friend, Joan Friend, and Nancy Hoffman. He will be dearly missed by all.