Raymond L. Lowrie was born on February 19, 1933, in Alcoa, TN to Carl and Elizabeth Buckner Lowrie. The family moved to Dallas, Texas, when Ray was a young boy, but within a few years his father was transferred to El Paso. Ray quickly became involved in the community with a paper route, boy scouts, school, and church.
Ray graduated from Austin High School in El Paso in 1950. On turning 18, he and some buddies went to the recruiting offices to enlist in the military. Ray chose the U.S. Navy and became an Aerographer’s Mate. Ray was stationed at naval bases on the east and west coasts and served his final year in Yokosuka, Japan. He always prided himself as being a Korean War era veteran. On receiving his honorable discharge in 1955, Ray headed home to El Paso. He began college at Texas Western (now UTEP) and became a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Before his senior year, Ray worked at the Climax Molybdenum Mine in Climax, CO, and that summer he caught the “Rocky Mountain Fever” which planted the seed for someday making Colorado his home. Ray received his Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering in 1960, and started work in McAlester, OK as a mining engineer for the Lone Star Steel coal mines. There he met his future wife, Mariann, while she was visiting her family during a summer break from teaching in California. They married the following summer in 1962 and headed to Denver for their honeymoon. On their honeymoon, both found jobs and officially made Colorado their home.
Ray began his governmental mining career with the Department of Interior at the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM), as a mining engineer. In 1964, the bureau transferred Ray to Washington D.C. Their son John was born during this time. After a few years in D.C. the family returned to Denver where Ray conducted mineral and technical studies with USBM. Ray and Mariann’s daughter, Suzanne, was born during this time. In 1971 Ray received his Master of Science in Mineral Economics at Colorado School of Mines, and by 1973 his work took the family to Columbus, OH. On a loan basis from the U.S. Interior Department, Ray served as Chief of Reclamation for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and was responsible for developing the Ohio statute governing mining industrial minerals.
Returning to Denver in 1975, Ray was named Chief of the Intermountain Field Operations Center for USBM which was involved with conducting engineering and economic studies using industry data. After Congress passed the Surface Mining Control Reclamation Act of 1977, Ray was appointed Regional Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) in Kansas City, MO. He continued serving OSMRE as Administrator of the Eastern Technical Center in Pittsburgh, PA and finally Assistant Director of the Western Field Operations in Denver, CO. On his retirement in 1994, Ray received the Interior Department’s Meritorious Service Award.
After retirement, Ray became the Professional Engineering Coordinator for the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. (SME). He assisted the SME Committee responsible for developing the professional examination for various states to administer to mining engineers seeking professional licensure. During his time with SME, Ray incorporated constructive changes to the examination and edited the award winning first edition of SME’s Mining Reference Handbook. In 2005, Ray received the President’s Citation Award for this work. Ray continued to write and was published in numerous other mining industry publications. He was honored in 2007 as a Distinguish Member of SME. In 2011, he authored the forward to SME’s Mining Engineering Handbook, 3rd edition, the most prestigious mining industry publication worldwide. Ray went on to serve as President of Carbon Energy Reserve, endeavoring to market a large coal deposit in Montana. Ray maintained his Registered Professional Engineer status throughout his distinguished career.
During his retirement years, Ray wrote an historical novel (The Elephant’ s Grip, Wild Rose Press, 2016) centered around the 1859 Pike’s Peak gold rush and a number of social issues of the time. He enjoyed being a lifelong learner through adult education classes, his book club, and what he called “meaningful conversations” with family and friends. Of course, a glass of red wine in his hand during those discussions always made them more meaningful.
His parents and three siblings, Mildred Cornelison Meder, Ernest Benson Lowrie, Carlene Lowrie preceded him in death. Ray is survived by his wife, Mariann Kroupis Lowrie, Sun Lakes, AZ; son, John C. Lowrie, Denver, CO; daughter, Suzanne E. Lowrie, Sun Lakes, AZ; his sister-in-law, Joyce Oliver Lowrie; Portland, CT, and seven nieces and nephews throughout the United States. His burial will be at the Arizona National Military Cemetery in Cave Creek. A “Celebration of Life” will be held in Denver for Ray in the coming months.
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