Obituary of Robert Bruce Lowther

Robert Bruce Lowther, known to everyone simply as Bob, was born on April 4, 1941 in Magog, Quebec to parents James and Lucy Lowther. Bob was the eldest son, having one brother, Wayne, who died in childhood and one sister, Barbara McInnes of Lac La Hache, BC. Bob grew up in New Westminster, B.C. where he attended Sir Richard McBride Elementary School and graduated from Lester Pearson Senior Secondary School. As a boy Bob was a boy scout, his father Jim being a scout leader. He was a paperboy and briefly sang in the church choir, although that did not last long as, according to Barb, he was a terrible singer. He was, apparently, a better pianist and took Royal Conservatory piano lessons for 8 years until he quit after a dispute with his teacher over Bob wanting to play more modern music. He served as president of the Senior Anglican Young People's Association. He rode horses, though this was more Barb's passion than his. Bob did love animals though, especially dogs. As a boy he had two rat terriers named Ringer and Trixie. When he was in grades 2 and 3 he lived in Victoria and his Dad, Jim, rescued a Brittany Spaniel from the pound which had been abused. Bob loved and cared for this dog they named Tuffy and worked tirelessly with the little animal to the point that he was able to enter it in a dog show where he won best of show. Bob continued to love animals throughout his life and most recently had two little dogs, Cisco and Trixie. Bob attended UBC and graduated with his degree in Pharmacy in 1966. He had worked at Fisher's Drug store as a stock boy when he was 15 and then as a clerk at Cunningham's Drugs while attending UBC. After graduation he went to work for Cunningham's as a pharmacist. Bob worked for Cunningham's (which later became Shopper's Drug Mart) in Quesnel and then in Prince Rupert where he managed the store until it burned down. We're pretty sure it wasn't his fault. In 1970, while in Prince Rupert, Bob joined the RCMP auxiliary. He had always wanted to be a member of the RCMP but unfortunately for him at that time the force insisted on members being 6 feet tall and did not accept anyone who wore eyeglasses. The auxiliary did not impose any such restrictions so Bob was able to serve another way. Bob continued to serve the RCMP and the communities he lived in as an auxiliary constable until 1992, a total of 22 years in all. After Prince Rupert, Bob worked in Chilliwack, Duncan and then, in 1973, he moved to Dawson Creek to work as a pharmacist for Hyde's Drugs / Shopper's Drug Mart. Coincidentally 1973 was also the year that Margaret moved back to Dawson Creek with her two children. By further coincidence, or perhaps by fate, Margaret worked as a teller for the Toronto Dominion Bank which was located across the street from the drug store. They met when Bob came to make deposits for the store. Bob and Margaret began dating and on May 22, 1976 they were married. Bob became an instant father to Margaret's children, Michael and Deanna. The bonds of family grew strong and it was not long before they considered Bob to be their Dad. The new family lived in Margaret's house on 92nd Avenue until moving into the current house in Willowbrook in 1983. Tragedy struck the family in 1981 with the death of Michael at age 15. His death had a devastating effect on the family but with patience and love Bob helped guide his family through the difficult times that followed. Bob bought the Shopper's Drug Mart franchise when the Dawson Mall opened in 1977 and ran the store until 1989 when he sold the store to a new owner. There was no better person to have as a boss than Bob Lowther. He treated those who worked for him with respect and patience. They were more like family than employees. I myself had the pleasure of working for Bob while I was in high school. It was while I was working at Shopper's that I met and started dating Donna, my wife of 25 years. In a way, I have Bob to thank for that. After Bob sold the store he worked as a pharmacist for Safeway until his retirement in 1999. In the meantime, his daughter Deanna married Darcy in 1989. They had three children, Kaylee in 1988, Kameron in 1991 and Konner in 1995. Bob loved his grandchildren more than anything. He was a proud and doting grandfather and would do anything for the kids. When Kaylee was born he took her everywhere with him proudly pushing her around the grocery store in the cart. He and Margaret took the kids on trips to places like Barkerville, Disneyland and down the Oregon coast. Bob loved vehicles and driving. Every spring he got car fever and would have to go looking at the new models on the dealer lots and fight the temptation to get something new and shiny. His sister Barbara recalls that he loved to drive even as a young man. He would take her with him to drive about looking at Christmas lights or just the scenery near UBC. Whenever there was one of the rare snowfalls on the coast, Bob would round Barb up to go driving around UBC and the endowment lands stopping along the way to help drivers who had gotten stuck or gone off the road. That was the kind of person Bob was right from the beginning, always willing to help someone out, even a stranger. Bob and Margaret loved to travel and went through several motorhomes. They went to Graceland, Texas, Louisiana and took the motorhome to Alaska. Later they went on a cruise to Alaska and trips to Europe and Normandy. Bob was involved in his community. There was his lengthy service with the RCMP auxiliary and years spent on the DC Hospital Foundation board. He was deeply involved with the annual Sportsman's club / Hospital Foundation sporting clay shoots for years. Bob was a long-time member of the Sportsman's club where he indulged his love of target shooting, an activity he pursued from his teen years. He also tried his hand at archery over the years. Bob loved Scotch mints and always had some nearby. He enjoyed marching band music and loved slapstick comedy, particularly the work of Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies. He would giggle uncontrollably when he watched these comedies much to the amusement of his family members who found his laughter funnier than the actual movies. He wasn't much of a handyman but he was always willing to give it a try. He once put together a tin garden shed only to have the wind promptly blow it down. His dad Jim came up to help fix it and they ended up building a deck. As far as we know it is still standing. He definitely wasn't a gardener, although Margaret is a good one. Bob's gardening career came to a sudden halt after one occasion when Margaret asked him to weed the garden. Apparently Bob couldn't tell a carrot from a weed and promptly started pulling them out until Margaret caught him and kicked him out of the garden. He did offer to put the carrots back in but it was too late and he was no longer welcome in the garden. Well, at least he tried. That was Bob though - always helpful, always polite. So polite in fact that on once, while camping and after having a few drinks, he was seen to get up from his seat, turn and walk into a tree to which he, very politely, apologized. A phrase that has meaning to his family when thinking of Bob is "toasty - warmy". It was something Bob had said while camping in response to someone commenting on the fire. While it may sound a little silly, for his family it evokes warm memories of Bob and has become a part of their vocabulary. I am sure that in the future, when they think of him that is how his memory will make them feel. Although Bob was a kind and humble man he also had an inner core of strength. He was a fighter. In 2002, he fought esophageal cancer and won. In 2004, he had a stroke but again he fought and he overcame. He even learned to bowl with his left hand when his right hand was weak. He continued to bowl and to golf after the stroke and last year he was bowler of the year for his league and even achieved a high score record. He enjoyed golf and once got the award for the longest shot at an RCMP golf tournament, putting the ball in the back of someone's truck. So far as we know it may still be going. Curling was not his forte, however, although the team he and Deanna played on in a bonspiel once got the Golden Broom award. Unfortunately, it was the award for last place. Up until mere weeks before his final illness, Bob was still active, splitting firewood and going about his regular routine. Sadly, in mid-September his health suddenly declined as his heart began to fail him. He fought to the end, but this was a fight he could not win. Bob passed away on October 27th, 2015. Bob was not only a gentleman, he was truly a gentle man. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a proud grandfather and a good friend. The word nice is inadequate to describe him, but for want of a better word, he was one of the nicest men I have ever known. He was loved, he will be missed. Bob is survived by his wife of 39 years, Margaret, his daughter Deanna, grandchildren Kaylee, Kameron and Konnor and his sister Barbara. He was predeceased by his parents, James and Lucy, brother Wayne and son Michael. Service 11:00 am Saturday, October 31, 2015 Bergeron Chapel 10200-17th Street DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia, Canada V1G 4C2