Aaron Lowin Ph.D.

1939 - 2014

Aaron Lowin, Ph.D

Aaron Lowin, 74, of Seattle, surrounded by family, passed away comfortably at Virginia Mason Hospital on Monday, February 17, 2014 from complications of treatment for stomach cancer. He was born in New York City March 17, 1939, to Yankl and D'vora (Levine) Lowin. Aaron was a precocious and gifted student. A graduate of the Bronx high school of Science, he graduated at age 20 from Cooper Union College with a degree in mechanical engineering and then received a Master's in Industrial Engineering and a PhD in social psychology from Columbia University.

Although he later distanced himself from these groups, he grew up in a family of staunch and proud zionists, yiddishists and labor unionists. He was a member of Hashomer Hatzair (a zionist youth group) where he met his first wife. While they lived in NYC they enjoyed theater, restaurants and hanging out in the "Village" hearing jazz and folk music.

Aaron was a respected and popular professor at Iowa State University and at Albany State University, NY. His professional life as a social science researcher took him to Minneapolis and then to Olympia, Washington. He also volunteered for a year as a logistician for IMC during the Bosnian war and sponsored the immigration and education of a Bosnian young man. He was proud of his work there and authored a cookbook of the kind of "make do" recipes in use there.

Aaron was a brilliant man with an immense store of knowledge, a wry sense of humor, and a perfectly reliable, honest and loyal character. His many friends and relatives span the breadth of the country, and he has kept in touch with them over the years on his trips to New York to see and take care of his mother and to Montreal to visit his cousin Lou, on the way stopping in Vermont to visit more friends and family. Last summer he made a road trip to Minnesota to revisit that part of his life and friends there.

Running was an important part of Aaron's life. He began in his 40's, able to make it about an eighth of a mile up the hill by his house. Within the year he had run his first marathon and continued one each year until in his late 60's. To the end he ran an eight-mile course five days a week.

He loved to travel, and got to do lots of it, usually preferring to go close to the ground and see the country from the point of view of the people who lived there. He travelled in Africa, China, Mongolia and Russia on local busses and trains with the people and preferred going on foot whenever possible. He travelled more comfortably in many other countries as well.

Aaron and Miriam divorced in the early 1980's, but have remained loyal family members and friends. In 1996 Aaron married Linda Armstrong. They have enjoyed almost 18 years of a devoted and happy marriage marked by family and friend gatherings, travel, reading and discussing everything under the sun, not always agreeing, but always learning something from each other. Their house on Whidbey Island was for many years the center of social life for both Aaron's and Linda's families and friends.

He always said his family was his biggest success in life. He very much loved his wife, children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Linda Armstrong of Seattle; daughters Nikki Lowin (Eric Roach) of St. Petersburg, FL and Amy Lowin (Kalen Thomas) of Tacoma, WA; sons Dave Lowin of Lake Forest, CA, Peter Lowin (Mary) of Pasadena, CA, Colin Lowin (Stephanie) of Bellingham, WA, and Neil Lowin (Tess Harrington) of Jacksonville Beach, FL. He is also survived by grandsons Yitbarek Lowin of Bellingham and Levy Lowin-Thomas of Tacoma and granddaughters Aida Lowin-Thomas of Tacoma and Sara Lowin of Pasadena.

Aaron is also survived by his brother Leeam Lowin; uncle Yitzhak Levine (Leora); aunt Sasha Gottlieb (Jack); many nieces, nephews and cousins; first wife Miriam Lowin; and his beloved dog Zozo, who misses playing ball with him.

A memorial service will be held in early summer. Memorial donations may be made in Aaron's name to your favorite charity.