Gerald M. Lowrie

07/13/1935 - 11/09/2025

Gerald "Jerry" Lowrie passed away November 9, 2025, following a life marked by leadership, laughter, love, and lasting friendships. Born in the small town of Elaine, Arkansas in 1935, Jerry's humble beginnings never limited his aspirations or his gift for connecting with and leading others.
After enrolling at Memphis State College (now the University of Memphis), just one week into school, and without knowing a soul, he was elected President of the Freshman Class. It was the first of many leadership roles to come. While at Memphis State, he was President of his fraternity Kappa Alpha Order, the SGA, and Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. Jerry was even named Mr. Memphis State. Most importantly, it was there that he met his first wife, Shirley Johnston, whom he married in the spring of 1957.
After graduating, Jerry proudly served his country as a United States Marine from 1957 to 1960 as an Artillery Officer stationed in Quantico and at Twentynine Palms. The discipline and camaraderie he found in the Corps would stay with him for life.
In 1961 Jerry began his career in business and public policy with IBM in Kansas City, where his children, Rick and Lynn, were born. The family moved to Connecticut in 1966 where Jerry's skill in banking and technology led to a new opportunity in 1968 with the American Bankers Association (ABA). When the ABA relocated to Washington, DC in 1971, the Lowries settled in Maryland.
At the ABA, Jerry's sharp intellect and collaborative style propelled him to become Executive Director of Government Relations, where he became a respected and admired figure on Capitol Hill. His work on the Monetary Control Act of 1980, the repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax Withholding Act in 1983 and other key legislation earned him recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report's five influential lobbyists in Washington.
In a surprising but quintessentially Jerry move, he declined the top job at the ABA to take on a new challenge as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for AT&T during one of the most transformative periods of telecommunications history that included passage of the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first major overhaul of communications law in more than six decades.
Jerry retired in 1998, closing a career defined by integrity, insight, and impact. But his energy for life was undimmed. After his beloved Shirley passed in 2003 Jerry found companionship again with Betty, whom he married in 2004. Together they traveled the world from Hawaii and Italy to China, Israel, and down the Danube savoring every moment of their shared adventures.
Jerry served as President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade where he was named Leader of the Year in 1993. He held leadership roles in numerous other civic and cultural organizations, such as President of The Burning Tree Club, Chancellor of the Exchequer Club of Washington, and Board member at Ford's Theatre, the Montpelier Foundation and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. A proud Marine to the end, he received the Globe and Anchor Award in 2004.
Ever generous, Jerry established the annual Shirley J. Lowrie "Thank You for Teaching" Award in 2009 to honor Montgomery County educators' impact, a testament to his enduring belief in service and gratitude. He was also a member of Congressional Country Club and of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville since 1973, where he served in numerous leadership roles and where his faith and friendships grounded him until death.
Above all, Jerry was a family man, a devoted husband, loving father, doting grandfather, and loyal friend. He is survived by his wife, Betty Lowrie; his children Rick (Dawn) Lowrie of Cabin John, MD, and Lynn (Steve) Longley of Gaithersburg, MD; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; four stepchildren and their spouses; and an extended family that includes eleven step-grandchildren and five step-great-grandchildren.
Memorial services for Jerry will be held on December 5 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethesda United Methodist Church, 8300 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD. An off-site reception will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, in this season of giving the family asks those who wish to honor Jerry please consider an increase where possible to your charity of choice that helps make this community stronger together.