Ernest James "Jim" Lowrey

Jim was born in Lubbock, Texas on the 21st of February 1928. His father, Ernest Julius Lowrey, known as Pinkey, taught history and coached football at Lubbock High School. His mother, Sara Ruth Cooper Lowrey, originally from Holly Springs, Mississippi, was a homemaker.

After winning the state championship in the half-mile, Jim attended The University of Texas Austin on a track scholarship. He switched his scholarship to football and proudly joined the UT scout team. The team included several notable UT stars – Bobby Layne, Tom Landry and Hub Bechtol, to name a few. When recalling his experiences as a Longhorn, he could tell amusingly self-deprecating stories about his mid-week accomplishments. Alas, once the veterans returned from the war in the Pacific, Jim’s playing time was significantly diminished. He pledged Phi Delta Theta fraternity where he made lifelong friends. He graduated in 1949 with a BBA in Accounting and subsequently obtained his CPA certificate.

He met the love of his life, Jean Oates Lowrey, that summer. They married April 28, 1950, and welcomed over the next four years, daughter Jane and son Jim, Jr, to whom they were devoted parents. Besides being the family breadwinner, Jim taught Sunday school, participated in Indian Guides, told stories around numerous Boy Scout campfires, coached Pop Warner football, and, along with Jean, led church youth groups, and attended virtually every high school football game. He and Jean were reliable carpool candidates and chaperones, and were genuinely eager to know their children’s friends.

Jim’s accounting career took the family to Houston in 1959. In 1973, he joined the nascent Sysco Corporation, as one of the executive triad, and became the CFO and Chief of Administration until retirement.

Retiring in 1993, Jim launched a new career focused on fishing, hunting, golf, and travel. He delighted in including family members for any of these activities, chuckling at the family joke about his fourth, fifth, sixth and ultimately last fishing trip to Alaska.

Houston Country Club played an enriching role in Jim and Jean’s social lives. Jim particularly enjoyed his weekly Geezer Lunches. After struggling to extricate the golfer from the bunker, Bert Magill and he created a new rule that stated: If you’re 92 and your ball lands in the bunker, you get to drop another in the fairway, with NO Penalty. Continue Play.

Jim is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 67 years, Jean, and by sister Lois Lynwood Lowrey Honig and brother Richard Chapman Lowrey. He is survived by daughter Jane Tierney and her husband John, son Jim Lowrey and his wife Robbie; five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

The family is deeply grateful to Jim’s exceptional caregivers, Sherry Kelly, Co-Shanna Moxey, Freida Davis, and Columbus Hewitt. They have been profoundly professional as well as loving and great fun. Our appreciation goes out to the entire professional staff of The Tradition where he resided for over three years.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 31st of January, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the Rev. Dr. Wick Stuckey, Senior Associate Pastor, Pastoral Care at Chapelwood United Methodist is to officiate.

For those unable to attend the service in-person, virtual attendance may be accessed by visiting Jim's online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com and selecting the "Join Livestream" icon on the service section. While there you may also share fond memories and words of comfort and condolences with his family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon.

Immediately following all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent grand foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family suggests memorial contributions to be directed to the charity of one’s choice.