Obituary of Martin Lowney

Martin S. Lowney, a retired Burlington Fire Fighter and owner of Lowney Custom Interiors passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 1, 2010. He was 72 years old. Martin was born in Medford, the son of Irish immigrants, the late Cornelius and Mary (Harrington) Lowney. He grew up Medford and was a graduate of both Malden Catholic High School and Northeastern University. He was a veteran of the United States Navy and his most notable service was on the aircraft carrier, USS Essex. He was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal. He married and settled in Burlington in 1966. He was a proud member of the Burlington Fire Department. He also had his own wallpapering and painting business called Lowney Custom Interiors, which he operated on his off days from the fire department and long after his retirement. He was a member of the Burlington Knights of Columbus and the Indian Ridge Country Club. He was an ardent golfer. He was an avid sports fan. He worked hard to provide for his family. In his later years, he embraced his role of being a grandfather. Martin was the proud father of Martin Lowney, Jr. & his wife Linda of East Greenbush, NY, Daniel Lowney & his wife Arleen of Groton, Brendan Lowney & his wife Veronica of Groton, and the late Stephen Lowney. He was the grandfather of Erin, Michael, Christopher, Haley, George, Declan, Annabelle, Alexandra, Katherine, and Rachael Lowney. He was the brother of Kevin Lowney of Lake St. Louis MO, and the late Brendan Lowney. He was the former husband of Nancy Singelais of Moultonborough, NH. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass at St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington on Friday, October 8 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Martin’s name may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226 www.dana-farber.org. For directions, obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net & www.saintmargaretschurch.net. Arrangements by the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, BURLINGTON. Family Remembrance by Brendan Lowney In many ways, my father’s life echoes a theme that has been played out countless times in the history of our country—a theme of hard work and sacrifice. The story starts about 90 years ago when my dad’s parents, Cornelius and Mary, left behind everything they knew in Ireland to build a better life. They settled in Medford and had three boys: Brendan, Martin and Kevin. My dad was close to his brothers his whole life. My grandmother, in particular, worked long hours to provide for her boys and she never stopped working, right until the end of her long life. My father grew up in Medford, and his early adult life was a whirlwind. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School and joined the Navy in 1955. He sailed the world, serving on submarines and aircraft carriers. He married my mom in 1960 and had three boys -- Marty, Stephen and Dan -- by the time he was 25. At 29 he took one more shot at having a girl and ended up with his 4th boy—that would be me. Like his mom before him, my dad worked tirelessly to provide for his family. Upon leaving the Navy, he went to work as an electrical inspector in the Quincy Shipyards. After his shift was over, he would clean offices at night. My dad did not work 9 to 5. My dad worked 5 to 9—as in 5 am to 9 pm. In the 1970s, my dad joined the Burlington Fire Department and when he wasn’t at the station, he was running his own painting and wallpapering business. My dad never wavered in his role as a provider for his family—a role that is sadly undervalued in contemporary American life--a role for which my family is forever grateful. My brothers and I also owe my dad a debt of gratitude for instilling in us the value of honor, hard work and education. He didn’t instill these values with words but with actions. I’m sure many parents tell their children that they need to work hard and get an education. My dad showed us how much he valued education by going to night school for 10 years while working two jobs. I still remember the day we attended his graduation from Northeastern University—it was one of the proudest days of his life. My dad’s life wasn’t totally centered on work. He certainly knew how to laugh and have a good time. And he was lucky enough to find true love in his life—first with my Mom and, in his later years, with Tina. The happiest days of my dad’s life were spent at Northwood Lake in NH in the 1970s. He cherished sailing around in that big blue tub of a sailboat with his close friends Jack Klop and Tom McGovern. Jack passed away recently and his ashes will be spread over the lake soon. My dad’s ashes will join Jack’s in the spring. My dad loved watching his favorite sports teams – which were larger than life to his little boys. He took us to see Malden Catholic in numerous high school hockey tournaments. We watched Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins win the cup. We hoped eternally with him that the Red Sox would win the World Series. He was a faithful Patriots fan before they were good. My dad was a decent golfer—who always seemed to elevate his performance when bragging rights and a few dollars were at stake. He was a fantastic cribbage player and, for some reason, he had an uncanny knack for winning football pools and drawings—much to the dismay of his friends at the Knights of Columbus. My dad was a very curious man who loved history and politics. He was a Navy man, a lifelong city kid, and a Democratic Party stalwart. He never stopped trying to figure out how he ended up with 1 Army man, 2 outdoorsmen and worst of all, 4 Republicans. He pinned his hopes for vindication on his grandkids. And that brings us to the subject of his greatest joy and his highest aspirations. Erin, Michael, Alie, Katie, Rachael, Christopher, Haley, George, Declan, and Annabelle—Pop knew that you were a collection of superstars, and his love for you, and his pride in you, was boundless. He will always be rooting for you from his spot in heaven—let’s hope that heaven has a smoking section. And this brings me to my final words…Goodbye Pop. Thank you.