Obituary: Lowe, Michael Vince
Age 61
He is survived by his wife of 38 years Gloria Lowe of Leyte, Philippines; son Jarrod (Jaime); daughter Janelle (Chad); his first grandchild Jenna; brothers Kenneth, Todd, and Trent; and sisters Larvon and Tish.
He was preceded in death by his sister Hope.
Michael was born on May 23, 1953 in Ocala, Florida, to Alphonso and Hazel Lowe.
He graduated from Vanguard High School in 1970 then attended Georgia State University where he earned a nursing certificate and went on to work at Grady Memorial Hospital.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1973.
His first duty station was Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.
He rose through the ranks from Airman First Class to Tech Sergeant and soon after, completed Officer Training School and earned an officer commission in 1983 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
His first duty assignment as a newly-commissioned officer was at Alconbury Royal Air Force Station in Huntingdon, England.
His military career took our family from England to Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, to Anderson Air Force Base on Guam, to Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, and everywhere in between.
From 1990 to 1996, he served in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
He always valued education.
While in the Air Force, he received an AA degree from Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles in 1978, a BA in Public Service degree from Central State University in Oklahoma in 1983, and a MS in Public Administration degree from Troy State University in Alabama in 1986.
Between 1981 and 1988, he earned USAF Certificates in Management Analysis, Cost and Economics Analysis, and Accounting and Finance.
After 23 years, he retired from the Air Force in 1996, the character of his service Honorable, his last duty station Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.
Always a hard-working man, continued on working jobs as a Special Education Instructional Assistant at Shadle Park High School, Director of Emergency Services at the American Red Cross, Regional Coordinator at Career Path Services, and manager at the Social Security Administration.
He retired from the SSA in November 2010 as a Management Support Specialist.
He led a full life rich with humanitarianism, achievement, and fun.
He was a strong and open-minded man who loved his family very much.
He spent his life in service to many different communities all over the world and was the life of the party everywhere he went.
He was always trying to help people.
He volunteered at St. Charles Parish, delivered meals to homebound people on the holidays, volunteered at the Crosswalk Teen Shelter, and much more.
He was the kind of man who often stopped by to check on people he knew were experiencing hardship.
He was especially passionate about his work as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in Spokane.
He also loved to teach and he really loved to tell stories.
His laugh could always be heard across the room.
In his retirement, he made sure everyone close to him knew how much he thought of them and loved them.
He called often just to say, “Hi, how are you?”
He cherished family above all things, even making sure to call his only granddaughter Jenna every single day.
He will continue to live on through his family and many friends.
A Memorial Service will be held for Michael at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at the Ball & Dodd Funeral Home chapel at 5100 West Wellesley in Spokane, WA.
The service will be immediately followed by an interment service at Fairmount Memorial Park, which is adjacent to the funeral home.
His interment will be immediately followed by a repast at 4708 N. Cannon St.