Kyle Alden Lowrey

Kyle Alden Lowrey Obituary

Kyle Alden Lowrey, 26, passed away on Monday, May 29, 2017 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL after a short illness.

Kyle was born in Gainesville, FL and moved to the Pensacola area when he was three months old. He attended R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School, Avalon Middle School, and Milton High School, where he graduated with Honors in 2009. While in high school, he was a dual enrollment student at Pensacola Junior College and graduated Cum Laude with an A.A. degree in Pre-Engineering in 2010. He later attended the University of Arkansas where he studied Civil Engineering. While at Arkansas, he was the recipient of the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering Scholarship and was a Student Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Additionally, in 2010 he was a member of a concrete design team that earned the highest score in ten years for the strength of the concrete they designed for their Structural Materials class. Also, as an engineering student, he traveled on two occasions to Belize as a volunteer, first as a member of EngineersWithout Borders and secondly with Peacework, an international humanitarian organization. While there, he assisted in building a well and an aquaponics farm for the people of Belize, as well as conducted research on how to reduce erosion on the beaches of Dangriga.

In 2014, three courses shy of receiving his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering, Kyle decided to take a break from his studies and travel to learn more about himself and the people and world around him. To that end, he became a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Mid-Atlantic Trail Crew where he worked on the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. He then set his sights on Snowmass, CO where he worked for the Aspen Skiing Company as a Ski Lift Operator. This was followed by work as a Whitewater Rafting Guide for the Big Bear Rafting Company in Hartford, TN and The River Company in Stanley, ID. During this time, he also became a certified Wilderness First Responder, a Class 4 Swiftwater Rescuer, and had passed the practical portion of the Wilderness EMT Certification, with plans to take the written part of the exam in the upcoming year.

In his spare time, Kyle enjoyed a multitude of activities including reading (his favorite book was Moby Dick); writing prose and poetry; playing the piano; listening to music (his  favorite musicians were Elton John and Frédéric Chopin); watching movies; and lobstering while on family trips to the Bahamas. Additionally, though his 6'3" frame might make you think otherwise, he was a sensitive, empathetic young man who felt tremendous angst in his short life for those who were less fortunate, for the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country, and for anyone he felt was in pain. As a result, he frequently wrote letters and poems to those in their time of need, bought thoughtful gifts to lift someone when they were down, interviewed veterans for the Veterans History Project, and offered a shoulder to cry on for the weary.

Finally, Kyle had an insatiable appetite for learning and was particularly interested in history; literature; philosophy; and music, which moved him deeply, and how this knowledge could be used to make the world a better place in which to live. In his pursuit of knowledge, Kyle was especially appreciative of teachers who went the extra mile to impart their wisdom and to connect with their students in an understanding and compassionate way. In particular, he admired Mrs. Karen Mattox and Mr. Bruce Wolfe, of RC Lipscomb Elementary School; Mr. Hank Bunnell and Coach Jeff Larson of Milton High School; Professors Thomas Soerens, Robert Brubaker, Jonathan Cavallero, and Larry Weir from the University of Arkansas; and Professors Charles Schuler, Brian Rucker, and Bill Fisher of Pensacola Junior College.

It should be noted that Kyle often commented that his days at Pensacola Junior College were some of the happiest days of his life and that if he ever attained wealth, he would make a point to give back to the school that made him feel so alive and welcome. We, therefore, have begun an endowment scholarship in his memory at Pensacola State College and request, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made in his name to the PSC Foundation at 1000 College Blvd., Bldg 17, Pensacola, FL 32504. Donations can also be made online at https://foundation.pensacolastate.edu, making sure to include Kyle's name in the comment section, or by phone at 850-484-1560.

Kyle is survived by his parents, Dr. Gerald Lowrey and Sherry Broom; his brother and best friend, David Lowrey; his maternal grandmother, Betty Byers Broom; his great aunt, Geraldine Collins; his aunt, Elizabeth Lowrey; and his aunt and uncle, Alan and Melanie Sparr and their daughter Katie, all of Milton.

He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, the Honorable George and Amy Lowrey; his maternal grandfather, Burt Broom; and his uncles, Michael Allan and Wayne Broom.