Dr. Howard Wesley Lowery Memorial Service

Covenant Presbyterian Church Columbus, Ohio

September 15, 2023

Howard Wesley Lowery, 93, passed away peacefully on Sunday August 20, 2023 in his home at First Community Village in Upper Arlington. He was born August 29, 1929 with twin brother Harold, the sons of John Glenn (JG) and Mary Martha Lowery. The twins grew up in the small college town of New Concord, Ohio along with older brothers Art and John and younger sister Jean. Childhood was at times rough and tumble, as he survived a run in with a truck whilst delivering newspapers on a snowy day, and his mother’s wrath when he and Harold constructed an all too effective crossbow and used her good washtub as a target. He was a straight shooter from an early age. His loving parents instilled in him the importance of learning, hard work, thrift, duty, and faith which he endeavored to pursue his entire life. He was the starting center for the New Concord high school basketball team, as well as a gifted student. His father being Dean of Education at Muskingum College limited his choice of colleges to one because tuition was free for children of faculty (a $175 value for a semester). He graduated summa cum laude in the class of 1951; he was deferred from the Korean War to attend medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, graduating in ’55. After an internship at Philadelphia General Hospital, he served 2 years in the Navy at Tongue Point Naval Air Station, Astoria, Oregon. On a brief assignment to Oregon State University doing physicals, fate intervened and he was set up on a blind date with Ellen Simpson arranged by the son of his medical officer commander. They married February 2, 1958 and then drove across the country, first to New Concord and then on to New Your City for his residency in Otorhinolaryngology at Columbia Hospital. They spent three years in NYC and their first son, Jamie was born at New York Hospital. Howard and his young family returned to Columbus and he joined his brother John Lowery in the practice of ENT medicine and surgery in 1961. Two more children, Robert (Bob) and Mary Ellen were born. He was the patriarch of the family and a quiet capable leader throughout his life. Among the many leadership positions in which he served were Muskingum Alumni President, church elder, deacon, a founding member of ROMA, President of Riverside Hospital Medical Staff, and a board member of Ghost Ranch. Howard and Ellen were world travelers and he was proud to have visited six continents and experienced so many different cultures and traditions. All the while he enjoyed honing his photography skills. In 2001, Howard flunked a retirement attempt and returned to the practice part time until 2018. He spent 55 years as an ENT. He was a good family man, and a friend to all who knew him. The practice of medicine, particularly surgery of the ear and restoration of hearing, was his passion. Howard and Ellen have been long term members of Covenant Presbyterian Church. He swam daily, liked to garden, sing in the choir, play chess, fix things around the house in Rube Goldberg fashion, golf in retirement, grab the dinner check, and generously support the educational aspirations of his children. He is survived by his wife, Ellen, twin brother Harold (Pat Armstrong), as well as sons James (Dawn) and Robert (Carol), daughter Mary Ellen Kubat (Tony), grandchildren Jameson (Allison), Jaclyn, Cassie (Jim Newman), Carissa, and Abbie, and great granddaughter Lydia along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Howard was kind, amiable, tolerant and even keeled: the epitome of a gentleman and caring physician and he will be greatly missed.