Frederick B. Lowe

The Honorable Frederick B. Lowe died Monday, December 21st, 2020 in Virginia Beach.

He was predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law, James Person Lowe and Jane (Holland) Lowe. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Nancy L. Lowe, as well as his daughters Margaret (Molly) B. (Lowe) Mendoza, her husband, Rick, and their children Christopher and Quinton; and Susan Ashby (Lowe) Toleos, her husband Aaron, and their children Annie, James, and Adam.

Fred was born and raised in the close-knit community of Franklin, Virginia by his parents Fenton B. Lowe and Edna Hope (Person) Lowe. He attended Franklin High School where he played football, basketball, and tennis. Fred graduated from the College of William & Mary and received his juris doctor from T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. He was a judge advocate in the Army, stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he and Nancy made friends with folks from all over the country, from El Paso, Texas, to Brooklyn, New York. After four years, he moved to Virginia Beach to practice law.

Fred was one of the first attorneys to work in the newly created Virginia Beach Public Defender's Office. He was appointed as a Commissioner of Accounts by the Virginia Beach Circuit Court. In 1991, was appointed to be a judge on that court. Fred served on the bench of the Virginia Beach Circuit Court for 21 years, retiring as Chief Judge in 2012. After retirement, he continued his service to the courts as a substitute judge and mediator.

Fred and Nancy enthusiastically supported their daughters' schools and activities; they could be seen working the Boosters' snack bars at most Virginia Beach Junior High and First Colonial High School sporting events. Fred loved watching high school football and college basketball, and was a lifelong fan of the Washington Football team. He played tennis and golf, the former in a weekly Sunday game with the same four players for over twenty years, attending the US Open every summer. He golfed with many friends locally and on annual trips down the Eastern seaboard. Fred enjoyed music, especially in live venues and loved to shag dance. He played in a monthly poker game for years and met for drinks with the same crowd at Chick's every Friday night. He loved being on the water and was an avid fisherman. He sailed Hobie Cats and captained fishing boats. He liked to beach, spending time with Nancy and friends on the North End of Virginia Beach, on the Outer Banks, and in the Caribbean with the Virginia Beach Bar Association. He learned to ski as an adult, and traveled with family and friends from Wintergreen to Austria. Fred's vegetable garden was a year-round project. He loved to cook, especially Brunswick stew, fried spot, and ribs with his famous potato salad. Frying turkeys for friends and family became a Thanksgiving labor of love. He made an impact on every person he met; none were strangers, he was just "Fred" to everyone.

Fred will be cremated and his ashes will be scattered at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Thank you to the staff on the second and third floors of Virginia Beach General Hospital.

Online condolences may be made at hdoliver.com