Surrounded by loved ones, David Paul Lowden, 88, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2017 in Salt Lake City.
He was born May 7, 1929, in Dayton, Ohio, to Opie Wilbur Lowden and Vera Louella Zellar Lowden. He grew up in Ohio—in a colorful family—and served in the U.S. Air Force, where he was deployed to Germany.
When David returned to Dayton, he found that his parents had joined the LDS Church. In the Dayton Ward, he met Michael J. Bennett, who introduced David to his sister, Ann Carolyn. On August 16, 1957, David Lowden and Ann Bennett were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.
In 1961, the couple moved to Salt Lake City. David earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Utah. He worked all his life, but found his calling in constituent services for Senator Orrin Hatch and later Representative Bill Orton. He had a gift for meeting people as they were, collaborating across political divides, and finding solutions to difficult problems. He made a positive impact on many lives through his kindness, generosity, and understanding.
He loved the arts, both performing and visual. His avocation was music and he cultivated an encyclopedic knowledge of classical and other forms. He collected records, tapes, and CDs, and was the family expert on audio technology. Later, he enjoyed learning how to use and confuse his electronic servant, "Alexa." He also seemed to know everything about movies, an interest that began in his teens, when he worked as an usher in the local cinema.
David possessed a sassy sense of humor and a quick wit. People loved him instantly. His daughter, Arianna, sometimes joked that she would be glad to rent him out to friends, admirers, and new acquaintances.
His nieces and nephews looked forward to visiting David as Santa Claus—at ZCMI and family Christmas parties. Whenever he encountered a child overawed by Santa's iconic presence, and afraid to approach, he would tell the mother not to worry. He could work his magic from a distance, speaking gently until the child was comfortable enough to come to him. Once, in a ZCMI elevator, he overheard two elderly ladies in conversation. "I remember both of you as little girls," he interjected, addressing them by the names they had called each other. One finally stuttered, "You stopped coming." Santa David said, "You stopped believing, my dear." They stared, speechless, as he made his exit.
Close family members, including his children and grandchildren, knew David's intense but understated tenderness. In the last year, he formed a special connection with his granddaughter, Bailey. Most evenings, she bid him goodnight: "I love you, Grandpa." He would reply: "And I you."
Unable to see his own sons grow to manhood, David was particularly proud that his only grandson carried the name "Lowden." We miss his presence already and take comfort in the hope of a joyous eternal reunion.
David's wife, Ann; children, Andrew, Jamie Paul, Rosanna, and Melissa; parents, Opie and Vera; and sister, Marilyn Jean Morgan, preceded him in death. He is survived by two daughters, Adrienne deJager and Arianna (Taylor) Erickson; seven grandchildren, Natalie Ann deJager, Chelsea Melissa (Jay) Webb; Megan Emily deJager (Jeremy Redd), Jessica Audrey deJager, Lowden Taylor Erickson, Bailey Ann Erickson, and Emma Rose Erickson; and one great-grandson, Max Danger Anderson.
The family wishes to thank Utah Cancer Specialists, Canyons Home Health Care, and IMC Health Care for helping to make David comfortable this last year and extending his time with us.
Funeral services will be Friday, December 8, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., in the Salt Lake Twentieth Ward, 107 North G Street, in Salt Lake City. Friends may visit Thursday, December 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, and on Friday, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., at the church. Interment in Salt Lake City Cemetery.
