Louis Lowrey

Natchitoches resident Robert Louis Lowrey, Jr. passed away at the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center on Tuesday evening, February 11, 2020, as a result of an automobile accident.  A native of Many, Louis attended St. John’s Catholic School and Many High School where he was salutatorian of his graduating class. In 1963 he graduated summa cum laude from L.S.U. in Baton Rouge with a B.S in Business Administration. While at LSU, he was president of the Newman Club and later held a national office in the Newman Society. After graduation, he worked in automobile sales and later in the banking business. He was a member of the Many Lion’s Club and served as chairman of the board of Sabine State Bank.  In 1993 he earned an M.A. in Counseling and Guidance from Northwestern State University and became a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Natchitoches. He specialized in marriage counseling and addiction treatment and was a Board Approved Supervisor for the State of Louisiana’s Licensed Professional Board of Examiners. Over the years, he received multiple awards for his counseling efforts, most notably in 2019 the Professional Development Award from the Louisiana Counseling Association.  An active and devout Roman Catholic, he was a member of the Minor Basilica of Immaculate Conception where he taught R.C.I.A. classes for a number of years. He served as a member of the Immaculate Conception Parish Pastoral Council and was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was especially passionate about his prison ministry.  In 1997 he received the Diocese of Alexandria’s Salt and Light Award for Catholic community service. Louis was a big-hearted individual who lived by the principles of the St. Francis prayer. He was a kind and gentle man whose interactions with others were always informed by Christian ideals. He never stood in judgment of anyone and often gave of himself professionally without expectation of payment. He adored his wife and children and grandchildren, delighting in them and giving them constant support and encouragement. Keenly interested in social justice, he engaged in a wide range of charitable activities. He was an avid reader who loved to discuss and debate theology, philosophy, and politics. He could play the piano and organ by ear.            Preceding Louis in death are his parents Robert Louis Lowrey, Sr. and Merrill Laney Lowrey, son-in-law Jay Ingram, and grandson Grant James Ingram.  He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of forty-five years, Mary Frances deVargas Lowrey, his brother Joseph Laney Lowrey of Pompano Beach, Florida, and children Jackie Hill and husband Trey Hill of Baton Rouge, Francie Ingram of Ajax, Louisiana, and Denny Lowrey and wife Teresa Lowrey of Forney, Texas, a number of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.  Visitation will be at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home, 848 Keyser Ave on Friday, February 14 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. A funeral mass will be Saturday, February 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Conception, 613 2nd St. Following the service, burial will be in the American Cemetery on 2nd St.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Immaculate Conception Poor Fund, 613 2nd St., Natchitoches, LA 71457 or the Cane River Food Pantry, 411 2nd St., Natchitoches, LA 71457