William Vincent Lowry, Jr.

William (“Bill”) Vincent Lowry, Jr., of Port Orange, Fla., beloved husband of the late Mary Anna (Brownie) Gormly, died peacefully while in hospice care in Willowbrook, Illinois, on December 29, 2022, where he had recently relocated to be close to family. He was 95. He enjoyed constant visits with his loving family in his final weeks.

Bill was born May 23, 1927, in Amarillo, Texas, to William V. and Catherine (Dittman) Lowry. He was the loving father of John (Karen), Mary Catherine Gaston (Eric), and Carol Barrett (Richard), and he was the beloved grandfather, known to all as “Babba,” of Clark, Andrew, and Steven Gaston, and Alexander and Ethan Barrett. He also leaves behind his dear brother George (Andree) and was preceded in death by his loving sister Catherine Joyce (Gerry).

Bill was a lifelong adventurer with a zest for excitement, always planning the next big trip. He grew up in rural Volusia County, Florida, and earned his small aircraft pilot’s license at the age of seventeen while in high school in Lawton, Oklahoma. When he turned 18, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, with hopes of piloting a fighter jet in WWll. He was never deployed, as the war was ending, and was honorably discharged. His family soon relocated to Seoul, Korea, where his father was stationed during the Korean War. Upon returning home, Bill attended St. Francis college in Pennsylvania, where he enjoyed being fraternity president, lots of socializing, and plenty of fishing.

His love of adventure and air travel drew him to a career in the airline industry. He started as a steward with Capital Airlines based in Washington, D.C., then went on to customer service with a memorable stint at “lost and found.”  Eventually he was recruited to commercial sales with the nascent United Airlines and transferred to Chicago and then Detroit, where he stayed until he retired. He particularly enjoyed his role traveling with the Detroit Lions and University of Michigan football teams.

Bill and Brownie (a Capital Airlines flight attendant) met in Washington D.C., while both were employed at Capital. They married in 1962 in Chicago and raised their three children in Livonia, Michigan. Bill made traveling the world an important part of his kids’ education and took full advantage of the perks of working for an airline. The family had many travel adventures together including numerous trips to Hawaii, Bill’s favorite destination.

After Brownie passed away in 1988, Bill moved back to the Daytona Beach, Florida, area and remained in Port Orange for the remainder of his life. He would continue to travel, hopping on a plane at the drop of a hat for years, especially to see his grandkids.

Bill was very creative in all aspects of life, from his famous storytelling to his secret recipes and questionable poker rules to his actual artistic talent. He loved to entertain, and he was always the consummate host. Above all else, he was a loving and proud father to his three kids and grandfather to his five grandsons whom he adored, and who all carry on his legacy, each in their own way.

Always a gentleman, Bill was kind to all, especially those who needed it most—unless they were occupying his favorite fishing hole. He was quick with a kind word and a smile, and if you were lucky, fresh caught fried fish and a tall tale. His many acquaintances all inevitably became his friends.

Bill’s many adventures throughout his long life provided endless entertaining stories and wonderful memories for his family and friends that will be treasured forever.

Services will be private.