Jack R. Loew

Jack R. Loew, Real Estate Developer and Philanthropist Jack R. Loew, 66, of West Chester, real estate developer and philanthropist, died Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, after a courageous seven month battle against brain cancer. Mr. Loew died at home surrounded by family. Reserved and modest, Mr. Loew was known as a person who led not so much in words as in attitude and actions. He was a man of great integrity who had established a reputation as a fair, innovative and honest businessman. Son of the late Calvin Loew and Marian (Horner) Loew Kimmel, Mr. Loew was born in Philadelphia, moved to Aiken, S.C. and later moved to Wilmington, Del., where he graduated from Mount Pleasant High School. Mr. Loew began honing his skills as a leader early in life through his participation as an Eagle Scout and as president of Student Council. After graduation he attended Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) to study architecture, then transferred to and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri with a major in business administration. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Professionally, Mr. Loew spent the early part of his career designing and manufacturing interior cabins for passenger trains. While this experience was rewarding, Mr. Loew's desire to participate more in the local community drove him to focus on the acquisition and development of land. In 1976, Mr. Loew founded Hough/Loew & Associates, now J. Loew & Associates, originally based in Merion and later moving to Exton. The company initially centered around designing and construction, offering potential building owners a single organization within which a project could be developed, with cost effectiveness, from conceptual design through final construction. Today J. Loew & Associates, Inc. is a diversified real estate company specializing in the development and construction of suburban retail, office, industrial, golf, and residential properties. Since its inception the company has developed many properties, including twenty office and industrial parks and twelve retail centers, all of which have become home to a significant portion of the suburban Philadelphia business community. Devoted to his wife and family, Mr. Loew cherished the time he spent with them, and in his later years, enjoyed traveling throughout the world with his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family and friends. Among his favorite adventures were African safaris, and hot air ballooning. Just ten months ago, he was climbing the mountains in Asia to see the Tibetan Monasteries and trekking through the Rwanda jungle for a chance encounter with a family of silverback gorillas. One of Mr. Loew's greatest passions was his involvement in philanthropic pursuits. After witnessing the devastation in Sri Lanka from the tsunami in 2004, Mr. Loew contributed funding for the construction of homes for families who lost everything they had owned. He was the benefactor for Exceptional Care for Children in Newark, Delaware, a facility devoted to palliative care for terminally ill children. He has given generously to Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children in West Chester; Safe Harbor in West Chester, an organization providing food and shelter to the homeless; as well as many other charities. He is survived by his beloved wife of 22 years, Patricia Burton Loew; and their six children, his daughter, Amanda Loew Rocco (Matthew); son, Adam R. Loew (Kelly); step-daughters, Noelle Burton Lachenmayer (Michael) and Liane Burton Duncheskie (Robert); and step-sons, Robert C. Burton (Jennifer) and Donald W. Burton (Brandi). Also he is survived by his 19 grandchildren; his mother Marian Loew Kimmel; and his sister Cheryl Loew. A celebration of Mr. Loew's life will be held at Downingtown Country Club, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 beginning at 3 p.m. Memorial contributions may be given in Jack's name to the Neighborhood Hospice, 400 E. Marshall St., West Chester, PA and National Brain Tumor Society at www.braintumor.org.