Brian Thomas Robert Loewen

Brian Thomas Robert Loewen
May 19, 1976 - Feb. 13, 2014

Brian Thomas Robert Loewen of Boston, Mass., passed away Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in a Boston hospital as a result of the H1N1 flu virus. He had become ill during the happiest time of his life in Cancun, Mexico, where he and his wife Lori Beth were celebrating their marriage with family and friends. Brian was admitted to the ICU ward of Brigham and Women's Hospital on Jan. 13 after his lungs had become severely damaged, and he bravely fought the virus and its effects for 32 days. He was surrounded by family members at the time of his passing.
Brian was born May 19, 1976, in Woodland, growing up in Roseville and Woodland. He graduated from Roseville High School in 1994, and went on to attend junior college. At the time of his passing he was pursuing his degree in "Writing, Literature and Publishing" at Emerson College in Boston. His short story "In the Trees" appeared in the fall 2013 edition of Stork Magazine, a fiction journal published by undergraduate students at Emerson. He also had ties to the Chico area, where he lived for more than 10 years. He and Lori Beth met there in 2010 during the San Francisco Giants' playoff run, and they moved to Boston in the summer of 2012.
Brian will be remembered by many as a diehard San Francisco Giants fan, having attended many games at Candlestick Park, Scottsdale Stadium, and AT&T Park. He also enjoyed boating, water skiing and snowmobiling with family and friends, spending many summers at Bucks Lake and Bullards Bar in Northern California.
Brian was known for his big heart and big smile, thirst for knowledge and a quiet self confidence. He was every engaging and a friend of everyone he me. He was loving, caring and devoted to his family. In his wedding vows expressed to Lori Beth, he told her: "I love you madly."
Brian is survived by his wife, Professor Lori Beth Way of Boston; parents Chris and Elaine Everett of Winters and Tom and Cate Loewen of Woodland, grandparents Bob and Lorraine Poarch of Folsom, and father- and mother-in-law John and Cathy Bodine of Langhorne, Pa. He is also survived by sisters Heather Johanson of Roseville, Amy Taylor and husband Mark of Richland, Wash., Melisa Smasal and husband Chris of Beaverton, Ore., Marsha Fernandez and husband Jason of Fresno, and Stephanie Mouser of Woodland; as well as nieces Emma, JulieAnn and Nicole Taylor; and nephews Drew Smasal and Devin Johanson; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A memorial service for Brian is scheduled for 2 p.m., Saturday, March 1, at the First Baptist Church of Davis, 38141 Russell Blvd., Davis. A reception will follow at the El Macero Country Club, 44571 Clubhouse Drive, El Macero. Donations can be made tot he Brian Loewen Memorial Fund at http://gfwd.at/1gtlvJnM. The family also asks those who are familiar with Brian to donate blood in his honor, and also urges them to get their yearly flu vaccination.