Lowrance, Dean

Well, we knew at some point it would come to this! First of all, this message is going out to the small group of people whom dad didn’t outlive. If you are reading this and you knew Dean, well – you are in select company because he darn near outlived all of us. It all happened Sunday, after 93 years, 8 months, 25 days and some odd number of hours, dad called it a career here on earth.

He looked like a soap opera star from the 80s. Laughed at anything that tickled his fancy and rarely met a beer he didn’t like. Albeit Coors the Banquet Beer was his beverage of choice. However, after six full years of living alone and complaining he had lost his cook, it was time to reconnect with his beloved Patricia - the love of his life and wife of 64 years (who, by the way, stopped cooking 45 years ago).

Dad leaves behind a legacy that few will be able to match. He had a bullet in his chest for decades (too close to the heart to operate on) all thanks to the thick skull of a cow. He was once told the plant could run without him, so he left, only to have the owner beg for him to return (which he did for full pay but at two-thirds less hours). A passive man who abhorred violence, but threaten a mobster that he would rip out every wire in the man’s house if he wasn’t paid by Friday……..he got paid. He spent a few hours in prison for stealing copper wire that he didn’t steal. Using a slingshot, he could pick off any squirrel caught trying to raid the bird feeder. And he made one bet in his entire life with his son…….and lost – yes dad, Chrysler did make a four cylinder engine in the 80s – and thanks again for the car stereo. And to think all of this from the son of a preacher – actually that might explain a great deal.

On top of all of this, his greatest accomplishment may have been raising two kids starting in the mid-50s all the way into the late 80s, meaning he had to tolerate Flower Power, Hippie Power and Disco. Moreover, rumor has it he was the best brother a brother or sister could have. Though if he were here, he might say his younger brother was the best brother a brother could have. But then again, he loved every one of his siblings to the core. He was that type of man.

There is so much more to say about him, but then it would probably start to go to his head and then our mom would have had to straighten him out and well, we all know how that ends…..with a ‘yes dear’. And while he is now smiling beyond belief being next to mom, I know he had a ton of questions for the Lord – to which I am confident he will be surprised by some of the answers. If you knew Dean – you considered yourself one lucky son of a gun – and you have memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Dean is survived by his two kids, Robbie Loyd (Roy Dees) of Rising Fawn, GA and Dave Lowrance (Amy) of Austin, TX – and he probably left this planet a little early because he got tired of us nagging him every day about wearing clean clothes, shaving and my Lord – Dad – for 3 months I told you to get the oil changed – I even wrote it down and put it on the bar so you could see it – which I know you did for THREE MONTHS and yet…..I’ll be getting it changed tomorrow – I so know you did this on purpose.

He leaves behind six grandkids, Joshua Loyd (Melanie), Patricia Grisham (Robert), Austin Lowrance, Shawnee Lowrance, Izzy Lowrance and Kyra-Marie Lowrance; three great grandkids and one great great granddaughter, several nieces and nephews, cousins, an outlaw relative or two and a painting of a naked woman with a cherub that he was fascinated with. He also leaves behind the last of his four siblings, Pete Lowrance (Zella) – with all of his older siblings checking out in order – we miss you Uncle Tom, Aunt Mank and Aunt Dot.

And yes, we miss our dad like crazy. And this obituary is our way of letting you know how much we miss you. We know you wanted a simple, put me in a pine box and throw some dirt on me funeral and then have us all get back to work – but sorry – your kids get the last laugh on that – at least for the moment. And until we see you in the next life, we will raise a toast of Coors here on earth for you every so often so you can smile down upon us. Love you Dad.

Visitation will be at Lane Funeral Home South Crest Chapel on 833 Chickamauga Ave., Rossville, Ga., on Thursday, April 10, from 4-8 p.m.

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 11, at 10 a.m. at Temple Bible Methodist Church, 2205 E 36th Street, Chattanooga, with a private interment later that day.

Condolences may be sent to lane-southcrestchapel.com.