George Lowe was a competitive campaigner who knew he still had to live in the community the day after an election, his friend Garth Goodhew says. Lowe died suddenly on Friday, at 67.
George Lowe was a competitive campaigner who knew he still had to live in the community the day after an election, his friend Garth Goodhew says.
Lowe
died suddenly on Friday, at 67. His body was found on the stairway between the fourth and fifth floors of the parking garage at the Northgate Shopping Centre, where he had been walking, his wife of 44 years Madeleine said.
The cause of death is still unknown and results from an autopsy being held today won’t be available for a few weeks, Madeleine said.
“He will be remembered for his community work. It was his life,” she added.
Enjoyed political processGoodhew, who had known Lowe for over 30 years, said he “enjoyed” the political process.
Lowe, a staunch Liberal, had been campaign manager for the last two campaigns of Nipissing MP Bob Wood, and had also managed the provincial campaign of George Maroosis in the 2002 Nipissing byelection.
“George was extremely competitive, enjoyed the political process, was a real gentleman and a gracious winner and a gracious loser as well,” Goodhew said.
“His death is an incredible shock to all of us, and my heart goes out to his family members.”
Large voidNipissing MPP Monique Smith said she was “deeply saddened” by Lowe’s death.
“It’s obviously a great loss for the community and for the Liberal association,” Smith said.
“He was a vital part of my campaign team, and his passing leaves a large void.”
Lowe was from the old school, Goodhew said, where the “name of the game” was to win.
“But he was very conscious of the fact we all had to live together in the community the next day,” Goodhew said.
“It’s one thing to be competitive, but at the same time he was conscious of the fact you had to be sensitive to other people, and that took a lot of skill, but George had it.”
House on fireWhile Lowe loved politics, he was unable to participate until he retired from the federal civil service, where he worked for almost 37 years, Goodhew said.
“Once he was able to, though, he was like a house on fire and put in 16 to 18-hour days while working on different campaigns.”
Wood said Lowe’s death is “a tremendous loss for me.”
“It’s a terrible shock. You sort of turn around and expect to see him, but he won’t be there any more.”
Maureen Boldt, who’d run for the provincial Liberal nomination several years ago, said it’s “a sad day” for the North Bay community.
“He went too soon,” Boldt said.
Lowe's death came as "a big surprise" to Maroosis.
"George was in great shape and he had always been an athlete, and in his retiremnt years he was an avid golfer and he walked," Maroosis said.
"And this just struck us as such a big surprise, it was hard to believe initially."
Anthony Rota, who’s running for the federal Nipissing Liberal nomination, had known Lowe since he was 12 or 13.
“He was a source of strength for all of us,” Rota said.
“Whenever we think of Liberal we’ll always be thinking of George.”
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PHOTO George Lowe, (c) with Nipissing MP Bob Wood and FedNor area manager Carmen Demarco.
Photo courtesy of Bob Wood's office.
