Jean Lowe
Jean was born in New York City on February 15, 1931 and was the only daughter of the late Bernice Rosebud Ullman Couch and Mack Littleton Vickrey. She grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended the Hockaday School and the University of Texas. In the 1950s, Jean became a glamour girl of the skies flying as a “stew” for Braniff Airlines. She met her husband of 60 years, the late Albert Stafford Lowe III, on a double blind date and loved to tell the story of how she spent the evening dancing and chatting with him. They were married June 12, 1954 at her family home, “Singing Brook” in Dallas, and honeymooned in Havana, Cuba. They moved to Chicago and then to Lake Forest, Illinois, where they raised their family. An only child, Jean had wanted six children but changed her mind after the first four!
Jean was elegant and known for her unmatched style, her unending eye for design, and her talent for hosting fantastic parties. Jean conducted her life with a love for all whom she met and a kind word for those in need. For many years, she donated her time and support to the Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center, the Allendale Shelter Club and the Lake Forest Garden Club. She was also a member of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Artisan Guild, where she was inspired to create her Bedazzled line of women’s jewelry.
Jean was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2001 but would not be deterred. She loved to travel and continued to enjoy worldwide trips with her husband and family. She lived her life to the fullest and squeezed out every last drop of joy.
Her husband Albert preceded Jean in death in April 2014. She leaves behind her four children: Cassandra Vermillion and her husband, James, Lake Forest, IL; Audrey Allen and her husband, Miles, Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA; Albert S. Lowe IV and his wife, Cara, Thousand Oaks, CA; Richard Lowe and his wife, Wendy, Venice Beach, CA; her beloved grandchildren: James Dougherty Vermillion, Jr.; Miles Nathaniel Allen IV; Grace Fentress Allen; Elsa Blessley Lowe; her many nieces and nephews; and her canine companion, Zoey.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Lake Forest Garden Club or the Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Il.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 2:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church, Lake Forest, IL.