Allen Lowe, La Conner math teacher, dies suddenly

Allen Lowe’s new job as La Conner School District’s math teacher ended tragically with his death from a brain aneurysm Jan. 20. Staff and students in La Conner and Mount Vernon, where Lowe taught for 16 years after becoming a teacher in 2003 are grieving. Lowe’s love of working with children began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia in 1987-8.

Lowe went to Africa as an engineer. Born in Short Hills, New Jersey, he earned engineering degrees from Stanford and California Polytechnic State University. In Africa he met his life partner Andrea. They came to Washington state in 1999; she was pursing her residency in medicine; he went to work for an alternative energy company specializing in solar installations.

“He had never thought to become a teacher but he enjoyed it so much in the Peace Corps it was always was in the back of his mind and that’s why he switched to it,” Andrea said Monday.

Andrea recounted Allen’s encounter with a former student, now in college, in a restaurant: “He said his college teacher said, ‘this is something you would never hear of unless you had the best math teacher in the world’ and the former student said. ‘Mr. Lowe taught me that.’ It was a career he loved and it gave him great joy.” She said he put his heart and soul into teaching, that he put so much time into to developing lessons with the goal of having the kids understand and remember.

Lowe was voted teacher of the year at Mt Vernon about 2015. He was loved and he loved the students and he had fun with the kids Andrea recalled.

He leaves behind Andrea and 11 year old twins Christopher and Odessa.

La Conner Schools Superintendent Whitney Meissner compiled this statement to share with the community:

Allen Lowe was a Brave for less than a year, but in that time he made a huge, positive impact on staff, students and community. He is already greatly missed.

In the hours after the staff tearfully delivered the news to students, the La Conner High School leadership class sprang into action. They decorated the bulletin board outside Mr. Lowe’s classroom with the question, “Who was Mr. Lowe to you?” Within hours, the board was nearly full of messages:

“Always asked how people were doing. Very caring kind man!”

“Mr. Lowe always had the biggest smile on his face. He always said hello to me when he saw me. We miss you Mr. Lowe.”

“I didn’t know how but he always smiled at me in the halls, and sometimes that’s all it takes to brighten someone’s day.”

“Someone who put us all first from the first day he met us.”

Mr. Lowe jumped right into teaching advanced courses. Before he was even officially under contract with La Conner, he attended an AP Calculus Institute to begin preparing for the upcoming school year. He said yes to each opportunity presented to him, most recently joining a group of teachers working on instructional strategies as part of our strategic plan development. His input was insightful, friendly and considerate of many different perspectives.

Prior to coming to La Conner, Mr. Lowe worked for many years in Mount Vernon, the district where his twins attend school. His death has left a tremendous hole in their community as well.

One only needs to read the many beautiful tributes online to see the impact this man made on the lives of his family, students, and colleagues. We only wish we could tell him in person how much he meant to all of us, Meissner’s statement said.

Andrea, Christopher and Odessa were supported by their fellow members at the Skagit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Sunday, where the family are members.