Kathleen P. Lowry

If you heard bells tinkling on Friday morning, June 17th, it’s because another angel earned her wings. Kathleen Patterson Lowry joined her husband, Charles “Bud” Lowry, her daughter and son-in-law Christine and Bill McStay, and a host of family and friends in Heaven. 

She was born in New Brighton on September 12, 1921, graduated with the Class of 1939 from Beaver Falls High School and went on to attend Garfield Business School. She and Bud were married in November of 1942 and spent fifty wild and wonderful years together. She left her job at Curtis Wright to travel cross-country when Captain Lowry returned from prison camp after being shot down bombing the Ploesti oil fields during WWII. That triggered a life-long love of travel, culminating in a trip to Ireland (her very favorite place) with her daughters on her 80th birthday.  During her “middle age” years, she and Bud and a group of friends belonged to a dance club that held events every month at the Connoquenessing Country Club, where they cut quite a rug! She was a devout Catholic and longtime member/volunteer and officer of the Salvation Army, as well as the New Century Club, the Outlook Club, and her Class of ‘39 reunion planning committee. She was a fashionista with a great sense of style who never left the house in less than a perfectly coordinated outfit and hairdo and was a great dancer who taught those around her the importance of a shoulder shimmy. Her life-long love of sweets no doubt originated with her family’s ice cream shop when she was a girl, and she was never without an old adage or German phrase to bring wisdom and humor to conversations.

Her parents were Harry and Anna Patterson, and she is survived by her daughters Barbara (John) Havey, Elissa (Randy) Stevens, her beloved sister, Frances Sutherland, granddaughters Maura (Neill) Whiteley, Meghan (Mike) Ryan, Heather (Jeff Spragg) Havey, Ashley (Gus Mavromoustakos) Havey, and Anna (James Williamson) Stevens, great-grandchildren Charli, Cole, and Dylan Whiteley, and Max Mavromoustakos, and her very good friend and caretaker Donna Maez.

A wife, mother, sister, friend, and nurse, she was blessed to have wonderful, loving, and supportive nieces and nephews, as well as good friends.  We were so lucky to have her for over 100 years. While she will be greatly missed, we’re grateful to know somewhere in heaven, Begin the Beguine just started playing for Kay and Bud.

Friends will be received on Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM in the HILL & KUNSELMAN FUNERAL HOME, INC.- 3801 4th Avenue, College Hill, www.hillandkunselman.com. A blessing service will be held the following morning at 11:00 AM in the funeral home. Interment will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests to have donations be made to the Salvation Army- 414 Sixteenth Street, P.O. Box 600, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010.

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