Jack Eugene Lowther (1929 - 2004)

LOWTHER, MCCARTNEY, WISE

Posted By: Pamela Wagler (email)
Date: 5/15/2018 at 16:23:14

Burlington HawkEye
Burlington, Iowa
April 16, 2004

Jack E. Lowther

He was a 1946 graduate of the Burlington Schools, received an AA from Burlington Junior College, a BA from Iowa Wesleyan College, an MA degree from the University of Iowa in 1964 where he also did advanced graduate work.

He began his teaching career at Oakville, IA, in 1955. He was a teacher-principal at Huron School District. For ten years he was high school principal and athletic director at Wilton, IA.

He moved his family back to Burlington in 1969 where he was the Burlington High School Assistant Principal for seven years. He was principal at the Apollo Middle School and then was an elementary school principal at Washington School and also at Black Hawk School from 1980-1992. He was the truant officer for the district at this time. He retired in 1992.

Jack worked with the court system and helped create a Truancy Task Force. He volunteered in this endeavor to mediate and train others for over six years.

Mr. Lowther served in the US Navy and US Naval Reserves for 42 years. He retired with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer W-4 (BOSN) in 1989. During his time in the Navy he had among other duties Harbor Master, Cargo Officer and Commanding Officer for an Amphibious Sea Bees Attachment.

He was a volunteer member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary (civilian support group) since 1970. He held the office of District Commodore of the Coast Guard Aux. for the second and eighth western Coast Guard District. As a volunteer he taught boating safety classes to adults and children.

Boy Scouting was his passion. He entered Boy Scouts in 1941. He was in the Order of the Arrow and received his Eagle Rank in 1946. He helped organize Burlington Troop 4 and was scoutmaster for six years. In February 1998, he received the Silver Beaver Award, which is the highest honor in Boy Scouts given to a volunteer. In 2000 he received the Scouter of the Year Award. In the Order of the Arrow he was given the name that translates into "Guide of Little Boys". He was the program director for Camp Eastman's Cub Scout Resident Camp from 1999 to the present. He has been a Merit Badge Counselor for Troop 404 in Kirksville, MO.

In 2002 he was inducted into the Burlington Community School District Hall of Honor.

He loved to travel with his family and had been an avid boater.

Survivors include his wife, Pauline of Burlington; two daughters Linda (Kevin) McCartney of Burlington and Marsha (John) Wise of Kirksville, MO; and one son Michael Lowther of West Burlington. He has four grandchildren who he dearly loved; Nicholas McCartney, USN, Jacksonville, FL, Andrew McCartney of Burlington, Kelly Wise and Brian Wise of Kirksville, MO. Also nieces and nephews survive.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, and a sister.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday in Lunning Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m.

The funeral for Mr. Lowther will be Monday at 10:30 a.m. in First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Forrest Krummel officiating. Interment will be in Burlington Memorial Park Cemetery. The Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, Rock Island, and the Veterans Honor Guard of VFW Posts 10102 and 9162, American Legion Post 52 and the Hamilton-Walters Marine Corps League will conduct Military Rites.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial be established for funding to build a storage facility for Cub Scout Resident Camp at Camp Eastman.