Birth date: Apr 8, 1915 Death date: Oct 29, 2014
Bruce W. Lowe died Wednesday afternoon, October 29, 2014, at his home in Dallas. Woody and Wayne, his sons, and Paulette Harrison, a long-time friend … and “daughter” and “sister” … were present. He had led a remarkably principled Read Obituary
One of the most honorable and good men I have ever known in my life. Were it not for he and his beloved wife, I would not have accomplished my goals in life. There are a plethora of "stories" I wish I could share, but I would be limited by time and space (literally). I feel special having known Bruce and Anna Marie and indeed their progeny whom I still hold dear.
Today is a Red Letter Day in the USA in that gay marriage is now the law of the land. I never met Bruce Lowe in person but I sent him an e-mail back in 2005 congratulating him on A Letter to Louise and telling him that Canada where I live was about to legalize gay marriage which happened later that year. He was so happy for my country and hoped that he would live to see the same for the USA but had his doubts because of his age. Fortunately he lived to see it happen in many states but fell eight months short of this day. But I know he is looking down from Heaven and is smiling knowing that the day he wanted to see has arrived.
I never met Bruce Lowe. I never communicated with him. But through his "Letter to Louise" I knew his heart, his love, his Godliness. I was 64 and realizing that I wasn't who I thought I was, that there had always been a piece of me missing, hidden, sometimes unknown, sometimes locked tightly away but through a gradual process I was coming to the realization that I was gay. And I was excited about it but also had questions about how that correlated with my Biblical upbringing and fundamental/evangelical beliefs. Someone shared Bruce's 'letter' with me and my spiritual life was changed forever. For some reason I was led to review it today and it is still as meaningful, maybe even more so, as it was the first time I read it. I wondered how Pastor Lowe was doing and quickly discovered this obituary. He is doing great!!! Sorrow and joy, but mostly thankfulness for those words, and his life, that had such an impact on me and so many others. Bill Mathis
I consider Bruce a dear, dear friend. As I struggled with reconciling my homosexuality with my upbringing in the Baptist church as well as the scriptures I had read and studied, I came across his "A Letter to Louise" on the web. It was like a breath of fresh air flowing through my mind and soul. I felt I was no longer being pulled into the quicksand of self-recrimination and doubt, but had found solid ground to stand on. I journaled my experiences of coming out at age 60 and 61 as I continued to be a member of my Baptist church, compiled those experiences into a book form, and shared this with Bruce. He was most complimentary and helpful and felt strongly that my story should be published. His encouragement helped lead me to eventually publish my book. I feel a light has gone out of this world in the passing of this gentle, kind man, Bruce Lowe, and I feel most fortunate to have known him. Lou Anne Smoot
I contacted Bruce by email after reading "Letter to Louise" and I feel we had a real friendship. I shared my poems with him and he wrote back full of encouragement. He made my heart glad in relation to the issue of sexuality and for the first time I had a smile on my face for I wasn't on my own in questioning the standard teaching of the church. I send my love to his family who will miss him so much and thank you for sharing him with me from a distance. God bless you, Karen.
We heard the sad news of your father's death from Lou Anne Smoot and Brenda McWilliams who were recently in Flagstaff, Arizona to speak at our PFLAG meeting and share Lou Anne's story which is written in "A Christian Coming Out." Your father was a great help to Lou Anne and we are so grateful to know of the work your father did in support of justice and equality. May he rest in peace. Sincerely, Ruthanne Hassing PFLAG Flagstaff Treasurer/Membership Chair
My life has been made infinitely richer through the lives of Bruce and Ann Marie Lowe. Soon after joining Royal Lane Baptist Church sixteen years ago, I remarked to my husband how cute that old couple was who sat together at the front of the church. No matter where they were, they always were holding hands. "Can we be like that one day?" I asked my husband. I soon learned that this "sweet old couple" was much more than sweet. They each had lived their lives with a deep faith in God that was shared through music and Biblical scholarship. They walked the walk. When my husband and I taught the high school Sunday School class a few years later, at one point each week we discussed a different social issue. The week when we addressed the issue of homosexuality, Bruce came and shared with our class some of what I had previously read in his unforgettable "Letter to Louise." Here was a man who had lived a life filled with humility, servant hood, and spiritual growth–a man who was willing to spend countless hours praying to God for wisdom regarding the comments made by one of his dear gay friends and searching for answers to the tough questions that the Bible often left unclear. The results of his research made so much sense to me: there are no mistakes in God's creation. I am honored to be the chairperson of the Bruce and Anna Marie Lowe Scholarship Committee that was created at Royal Lane Baptist Church in this extraordinary couple's honor. I hope many will contribute to this fund so that their phenomenal legacy of courage and deep faith will continue for decades to come. Christine Nicolette-Gonzalez
